Free Falling
by Toonces
Summary: Miss Parker is forced to rely on Jarod for help after she is hurt fleeing from Centre sweepers. JMP
1. Wounded

**Free Falling**

**Summary:** Miss Parker is forced to rely on Jarod for help after she is hurt fleeing from Centre sweepers.

**Rated:** M

**Author's Notes:** This is my very first Pretender story, but I have been a fan of the show since the beginning. It will mainly focus on Jarod and Miss Parker's relationship with a little Centre business on the side. It's nothing super original, but it's the type of story I like to write. Also, I hope that my portrayal of a certain redhead isn't too terribly off. I like to try and be true to the characters, but I couldn't bear to watch the episodes she was in again to compare. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys it.

_**Lancaster, South Carolina**_

Ethan watched from his position at the window while his newfound family moved around the spacious home happily. His father, Major Charles, Jarod, Emily, and Jarod's clone, Jonathan, were all preparing dinner for the evening, just another thing they had been deprived of doing as a family before. They had yet to reunite with Jarod's mother, Margaret, but the voices told him that it wouldn't be long now. He tried to connect with the light feeling all of them seemed to emit, but he just couldn't. He couldn't stop thinking about his sister, Miss Parker. He was lucky to have Jarod and everyone else, but he knew Miss Parker didn't have anyone and probably never would as long as she was at the Centre. He needed to talk to her, needed to know what kept her at such terrible place.

Turning his attention back to the dreary rain outside, Ethan watched as a long, red convertible came into view, traveling slowly up the long drive.

"Someone's here," he announced to the room.

Jarod was the first to arrive at the window next to him, ever conscious of the fact that they were never completely safe from the Centre, but he was fairly certain he had covered their tracks well enough that they would have refuge for a while yet. As the car crept nearer, a large grin broke out over Jarod's face.

"Do you know who it is?" Ethan asked, practically hearing the smile on his brother's face.

"It's Zoë," he said racing to the front door along with the rest of the family.

"Zoë? Are you sure, son?" Major Charles asked.

Ethan stayed at the window and watched as a young woman with bright, wavy, red hair got out of the car and made a dash for the porch in order to get out of the rain. Jarod had only mentioned the lively woman to him a couple of times, but there was no mistaking that it was her.

"Zoë, what are you doing here?" Jarod asked excitedly as he pulled her into a tight hug. It had been nearly a month since he had last spoken to her by way of email, but nearly a year since he had last seen her. Her hair was only slightly longer and she was dressed in a pair of snug fitting jeans, a tight baby-t, and her red, leather jacket had been slung across her shoulder until she reached around to return his embrace.

"I've missed you so much, Jarod." She pulled out of the embrace just enough to lean back in and plant a kiss on his mouth.

After a few moments, Jarod pulled out of the kiss and looked over at his family with a slightly reddened face. "Uh, Zoë, I want you to meet my family," he said smiling as he led her into the house. She greeted Major Charles with a hug, forever grateful to him for saving her life. Jarod made all of the necessary introductions and Zoë was quickly accepted into the group, everyone no doubt charmed by her easy going personality.

As they sat down to dinner, Jarod explained that he had told Zoë where they were staying. After the incident with Cox and Lyle, he had helped her to create a new identity, not wanting her to be forever dodging the Centre.

Once dinner was finished and the kitchen cleaned, everyone went their separate ways in the spacious home, wanting to give Jarod and Zoë some time alone to catch up.

"What have you been doing with yourself for that past month?" Jarod asked as they walked hand in hand through the huge backyard. The property was nearly three acres total with plenty of trees for coverage and a midsized pond that was perfect for swimming. The rain from earlier had stopped and the sun was peaking out through a few straggling clouds. The thick, humid air made for a romantically hot end to the day.

"You know me, Jarod. I just try to enjoy life as it comes," she said swinging their joined hands. "What about you? Are those people still after you?"

Jarod frowned slightly as he thought about the Centre. "I'm afraid they'll be after me until the day I die," he told her. He had shared some things with her about the Centre, but she still had no idea the depth of the evil the place would stoop to.

"Hey, none of that," she said noticing his frown. Stopping and placing her hand on his handsome face, she leaned in for a kiss, which Jarod readily returned. He had missed the companionship of a woman over the past year and she was just what the doctor ordered. Things were simply with Zoë. She wasn't contaminated with the lies of the Centre. She was one of the few pure things left in his life. "I have an idea," she said as her kisses moved from his lips to his jaw and neck.

"What's that?" he said all ears.

"I have Motown's Greatest Hits in my car. Do you have a stereo?" she asked.

"Yeah," he croaked as her tongue danced across his skin, "in my room."

"Perfect," she smiled.

-----

Anyone who passed the bedroom door would only hear the sounds of The Temptations or the soulful voice of Smokey Robinson, but anyone with half a brain would realize the true goings on inside. Jarod and Zoë had retired to the room hours ago after a quick goodnight to the rest of the family.

Ethan nodded his head as he passed by and headed to the kitchen. He didn't mean any ill will toward his brother, and he was glad that he could find some happiness with Zoë, but he seemed to have completely forgotten about Miss Parker and the fact that she was still stuck in the claws of the Centre, surrounded by people who had no qualms about killing another human being to gain an advantage. He hadn't seen her since their return from Carthis, but both she and Jarod seemed reluctant to discuss what had happened and he didn't want to pressure either of them.

Dressed in his bedtime attire of a white tank top and gray boxer shorts, Ethan made his way through darkened kitchen and to the refrigerator for something cool to drink. The voices wouldn't let him get any decent amount of sleep and he knew that the time for him to leave was coming soon. He sat down at the kitchen table and cracked his soda open. The stairs creaked as someone else came down and Jarod appeared in the doorway a few seconds later.

"Hey, little brother," he said with a smile in his voice. "Anymore of those left?" he asked referring to his soda while flipping the lights on. Both of them blinked against the sudden brightness and Ethan could see that Jarod was dressed in only the khaki, cargo shorts he had on earlier.

"Sure, there's plenty," he answered, watching as his brother leaned into the fridge and pulled out the leftover fried chicken they'd had for dinner and two sodas. "You and Zoë must have worked up quite an appetite," he teased.

Jarod grinned widely and set about heating up the chicken. The clock on the stove read 1:16AM and he wondered what Ethan was doing up so late. "We didn't wake you, did we?" he asked slightly embarrassed. Ethan's room was right next to his after all.

"No. It's the voices," Ethan told him. "I'm going to be moving on soon, brother." He watched as the smile fell from Jarod's face.

"Is there something wrong, Ethan?" he asked suddenly worried.

"No…at least the voices don't say there is, but I need to be with my sister. She doesn't have anyone."

"Ethan, it isn't safe for you to go near her. If the Centre catches you with her, they won't show any mercy."

"I can't just abandon her," he said quietly, but with conviction as he brushed a finger through the condensation forming on the aluminum can. "I have to go to her…even at the risk of the Centre."

"Well, if you're determined to go then maybe I should go with you," Jarod offered.

"I appreciate it, brother, but I have to go alone…I don't want this to sound wrong, but I think I need some time away from everything. I'm happy to have found my family, but I'm still not used to all of this…togetherness," Ethan said sheepishly.

Jarod smiled. "I know what you mean," he said placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. He had been alone for most of his life in the bowels of the Centre and he often felt the need to get away from all of the commotion of having a family. Sometimes, he would even set up camp somewhere on the property, away from the house. Luckily, no one questioned his need for solitude. He was appreciative of the fact that his family had learned to deal with his strange ways. He remembered the first time his father had made fried chicken for dinner. He had eaten it everyday for two weeks straight and after that, they had it at least once a week.

His thoughts turned to Miss Parker. He wished things could have turned out differently after the events on Carthis, but he couldn't force her to leave the Centre no matter how much he wanted to. He couldn't even remember how many times he had simulated a plan to take her away from there, but he knew it was no use. Forcing her to do something would only serve to make her angry rather than enlightening her. He just wished he knew why she was so determined to stay in a place that would surely be the death of her one day.

-----

Two days later, Jarod, his family and Zoë, watched reluctantly from the front yard as Ethan drove away in one of the three vehicles the family owned. He told the rest of them that he just needed to get away for a while, but Jarod was the only one who knew the full truth. He was worried, but he knew that he couldn't stop him.

-----

_**Blue Cove, Delaware**_

Broots scurried through the hallways of the Centre on his way to Miss Parker's office. After the incident on the Isle of Carthis, Mr. Raines was put in charge by the Triumvirate and things had changed dramatically. The Centre had never been a safe place to be, but when Mr. Parker was in charge, and Miss Parker had more authority, there was a certain sense of protection he had from being on her team. No matter how much she snapped at him, he knew she would protect him from people like Raines as best she could.

Sighing with relief at making it to her office without incident, he tapped lightly on the door and stuck his head inside. His nose was immediately assaulted by the heady scent of her Chanel. She was sitting at her desk with her chair turned to the side in order to prop her impossibly long legs up on the corner. She was dressed immaculately as usual. A pair of black, high heeled boots climbed up her legs to just past her knees and a short, leather, gray skirt left little, but plenty still, to the imagination. She had on a sleeveless, black top and a long, gray, leather jacket to match her skirt was resting on the back of her chair.

Broots took his sweet time enjoying the view. His eyes traveled slowly from her feet to her head full of long, thick, dark, shiny hair and not one was out of place.

"Broots!"

He snapped his eyes to her cool blue ones and shuffled into the office. "Sorry, Miss Parker."

"Anything on Jarod?" she asked.

"Nothing. He hasn't contacted the Centre in almost six months. Maybe he's finally decided to disappear for good," Broots mused.

Miss Parker sat quietly while Broots chattered on. No matter the danger that lurked around her in the form of Mr. Raines and his henchman, she had never been so bored in her life. The search for Jarod was futile and her heart wasn't in it anymore. Truth be told, it never was. For years she had been stuck between a rock and a hard place. Catch Jarod and maybe be allowed to leave the Centre for good, which probably didn't stand anymore now that Raines was in charge, or be stuck at the Centre forever until she did catch him. She couldn't imagine being at the Centre for the rest of her life. Didn't want to. Life was depressing enough already.

"Let's call it a night, Broots," she said suddenly rising from her chair. "There isn't anything else to be done. The only reason we ever caught up to Jarod before was because he let us."

Broots watched as she turned around and slipped her jacket on, making her outfit that much more impressive. Man, she was beautiful. He caught a glimpse of the 9mm holstered at her back and she reminded him of some dangerous heroine out of a comic book. He came back to reality as she began talking again.

"Lyle and Raines can twiddle their three thumbs all night for all I care, but they aren't any closer to catching Jarod than we are," she finished.

Goodbyes were exchanged for the weekend and after locking her office, Miss Parker made her way to the parking garage. It was nearing six o'clock and most of the employees had gone home leaving the hallways quiet and eerie. She had grown up at the Centre and no matter how much time she spent at the place, the spookiness never quite abated.

"Leaving so soon, sis?" came the nasally voice of her evil, twin brother Lyle. She chose to ignore him and kept on walking at a steady pace, heels echoing. "In case you didn't get the memo, dad says he wants to see us…now."

Her jaw tensed at the use of his term 'dad'. She didn't care how many blood tests were done; never in a million years would she call or consider Raines her father. Her fear of him as a child had turned into a loathing hate as she grew older and it made her nauseous to even think about them being related. The image from the DSA of him shooting her mother in cold blood after she gave birth to her little brother Ethan was forever engrained into her memory and she would never forgive him for it. Not one night passed where she didn't entertain the thought of killing him and now to be stuck at the Centre under his authority…a person could go insane.

She stopped walking suddenly and gave Lyle a cold stare. "What does he want?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," he said with his usual innocent air.

Miss Parker sighed and together they headed to the elevators.

Lyle knocked on the door lightly when they arrived at Raines's office and entered once instructed to do so.

"My children," he said with a smile that looked more like he wanted to eat them rather than greet them. "Have a seat." Lyle did so while Miss Parker defiantly stayed rooted to the spot she was in.

"So, what's this all about?" Miss Parker asked impatiently.

"The Triumvirate has informed me that the search for Jarod must be stepped up. If someone doesn't start making headway soon, I can't be held responsible for the consequences that are sure to follow," he hissed.

Miss Parker half expected a forked tongue to flicker out, tasting the air. She noticed that he was looking pointedly at her and the threat was loud and clear. Her eyes shifted down to Lyle who was sitting smugly as if he hadn't a care in the world. She had yet to show Raines a sign of loyalty and she didn't plan on doing so any time soon. It was only a matter of time before the other shoe dropped and she knew that she would have to watch her back now more than ever.

-----

Miss Parker didn't arrive home until nearly ten o'clock that night. After the meeting in Raines's office, a trip to the dry cleaner, the market, and the pharmacy were made. She bought enough groceries for the weekend and filled the prescription for her ulcer. Placing her grocery bags on the counter, she looked around the dark kitchen and immediately decided that she didn't want to spend another dull weekend at home. She put the groceries away quickly and headed into her bedroom to pack. She remembered a time when she would have loved spending a quiet weekend at home, when Tommy was still alive. Not a day went by where she didn't think about him. It had been over three years since his death, but the circumstances surrounding it were still so fresh. It was never far from her mind that she worked for the place that killed her mother and the man that she loved in cold blood, but she hoped to remedy that in the near future.

Once her bags were packed, she sat them by the door in the living room. Just as she was turning to retrieve her prescription, which was still in the kitchen, there was a quiet knock at her front door.

_Who in the hell would be calling this late_, she wondered with a furrowed brow. Before answering, she reached inside her jacket, grabbed the gun at the small of her back, just in case, and looked through the peephole. Her brow furrowed even further when she saw who it was. She yanked the door open and stared at him in shock.

"Ethan?" she said looking around to make sure no one else was with him. She pulled him inside and quickly shut the door. "What in the world are you doing here?" She was happy to see him, but he was taking a huge risk being there.

Before he could answer, she had pulled him into a hug, which he eagerly returned. "I had to see you," he said softly. "It's been too long."

"Are you sure no one followed you?" she asked pulling out of the embrace.

"I don't think so," he told her. "At least, the voices haven't warned me of any danger."

They stood taking each other in. They hadn't very much time to get to know each other in the few short years that they even knew of each other's existence, but the connection between them was there and the gift they shared from their mother made it that much more palpable.

"Why is it so dark in here?" he asked looking around. He noticed her bags by the door. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes, actually. I decided that a little vacation was in order. Why don't you come with me? I don't feel comfortable with you so close to the Centre," she suggested.

"I'd like that," he told her and after gathering a few last minute items, they were on their way.

-----

"Where are we going?" Ethan asked after they were safely away. Miss Parker decided that it would be best if they used his car and she insisted on driving, which was fine by him after the long journey he had made from South Carolina. Her black Porsche was tucked safely away in the garage.

"I haven't decided yet," she answered. "I just need to get away for a while."

"I wish I could convince you to leave that place forever," he said softly.

Miss Parker looked over and saw the concern on his face and reached over to grab his hand. "Don't worry about me. I'm a big girl," she said.

"Can't help it," he said quietly. The long hours he had spent driving were finally catching up to him and he couldn't suppress the monster yawn that snuck up on him.

"Get some rest," she said squeezing his hand. "Well have a chance to talk later."

As she drove along, it occurred to her that in order to find Jarod, all she had to do was ask Ethan where his other family was, but she would never put him in such a position and quite honestly, she didn't want to know. She would put on a show for Raines as long as she had to, but she was through playing bounty hunter.

-----

As the night wore on, she found herself dying for a cigarette. Sad to say, she had fallen off the wagon nearly six months ago, but she was slowly trying to get back on track. Her cigarettes were in the back with her luggage, but she wouldn't have smoked one even if they were in her reach. For some reason, she didn't want Ethan to know that she smoked, but if she couldn't control her cravings, he would find out soon enough.

She saw him shifting uncomfortably in his seat and decided that it was time for them to find someplace to stay. She paid attention to the highway signs and soon they were exiting into some town. They passed by beautiful homes and buildings and finally came to a hotel that wasn't as fancy as she was used to, but still decent enough that she would stay in it. She thought it best they lay low anyway while they were together.

Ethan awoke to find that they were pulling into the lot of a nice looking hotel. Looking at the clock on the dashboard told him that he had been asleep for quite sometime.

"Where are we?" he asked looking around.

"Somewhere in Virginia. I'm sure we both could use someplace comfortable to crash," she smiled.

They made their way inside and Miss Parker paid for them to have adjoining rooms.

"Isn't it dangerous for you to be using your credit cards?" he asked on the elevator.

"I have bank accounts that the Centre knows nothing about," she replied vaguely.

He wanted to ask her more, but chose to accept the answer she gave. When they arrived at their rooms, she told him to order whatever he wanted and then excused herself to her own room. He took his time exploring the room. They may have been lying low, but it was still the nicest hotel he had ever stayed at. His big sister definitely had taste.

-----

Once inside her room, Miss Parker rifled through her bags and found her cigarettes. She stepped out onto the balcony and lit one, inhaling the smoke as if it were a lifeline. Her thoughts drifted to her and Ethan's conversation in the elevator and she knew that he had questions for her about why she made the choices she did, but she wasn't sure she wanted to answer them, at least not yet anyway. She took another pull from her cigarette, when suddenly there was a knock on the adjoining door to Ethan's room. Before she could even flick her cigarette away, Ethan was rushing into the room, looking scared.

"Ethan what's wrong?" she asked worried.

"We have to leave," he said panicked. "The voices…"

Miss Parker didn't waste any time. She grabbed her bags, thankful that she hadn't unpacked yet and moved quickly to the door, followed closely by her brother. She made to go towards the elevators, but Ethan stopped her.

"We should take the stairs," he said.

Miss Parker knew the power of their gift and she wasn't going to waste time questioning it. She pivoted in the opposite direction and they moved quickly down the hallway.

"We have to hurry," he said as their footsteps echoed in the stair well. "It's the Centre. I don't know how they found us."

"They must have put a tail on me," she said. "Damn it! I should have been paying closer attention. When we get outside, I want you to stay behind me. I am _not_ going to let the Centre get to you," she vowed. She had lost too many people who were important to her already; she wasn't going to let that happen again.

When they got to the main lobby, Miss Parker turned around and gestured for Ethan to stay quiet. She peeked out and saw three sweepers standing at various points in the lobby: one by the check-in desk, and two by the front entrance. Unfortunately, it was still early in the morning and not many people were in the lobby to give them cover. Looking around desperately, she spotted another entrance off to the side.

"You'll have to go ahead of me and get to the car," she instructed digging the keys out of her coat pocket. "Go through the side entrance. I'll be right behind you." She gave him her smallest bag to carry and discreetly un-holstered her gun. Taking one final look out the door, she gestured for him to go and then waited a few seconds before following him.

As she made her move, she saw that Ethan was safely out the door, but not before one of the sweepers spotted him. Knowing that it wouldn't be smart to reveal that she had a gun, and praying that the sweepers wouldn't be dumb enough to pull theirs in such a public place, she focused her efforts on getting to the car. Her heals clicked loudly in the parking lot and she saw Ethan waiting at the driver's side door for her with the car already running.

"Hurry!" he yelled frantically.

She glanced behind her to see that the three sweepers were gaining on her.

Ethan ducked into the car and pushed the passenger door open for her.

Just as she reached the car, she felt the sting of a bullet ripping through her upper right thigh and yelled out as she fell into the car.

"Miss Parker!" her brother said looking at her rapidly bleeding leg.

"Ethan," she panted, "Drive!" He snapped out of his panic and they sped out of the parking lot just before the sweepers made it to the car.

-----

They had been driving for nearly thirty minutes with only the sound of Miss Parker's heavy breathing. Ethan had tried to stop someplace in order to tend to her leg, but she wouldn't let him, saying that they needed to make sure they were far enough away. He had ended up taking his belt off so she could tie it above the wound to try and stop the bleeding.

"We need to get a different car." Ethan said quietly. Her face was looking pale and her brow was damp.

"I know," she breathed. She opened her eyes and forced herself to focus on the road signs. "We should be able to stop for a few minutes and figure something out," she sighed. She had been up for almost 24 hours now and, with a gunshot would on top of that; fatigue had caught up with her. She hadn't had anything to eat either and she was sure that wasn't helping matters.

"What are we going to do about your leg?" Ethan asked worried. "We can't just leave it like that." Her exposed flesh was covered in blood and no doubt the seat was soaking some of it up.

"I'm fairly certain that they know they got me and they won't give up easily," she explained. "They'll be checking all of the hospitals. The best we can do is stop somewhere and get some supplies and bandage it."

"Why did they shoot you? Surely, they would want you back at the Centre alive," Ethan asked.

"I guess my usefulness to the Centre has run out, little bro," she said softly. She knew it was only a matter of time, but this wasn't how she expected it to go down.

**To be continued...**


	2. Safety

Thanks to those of you who reviewed. They are much appreciated.

**Part 2**

_**Lancaster, South Carolina**_

Jarod was in the backyard doing yard work and working up a good sweat. They'd had a storm a few days ago and there were plenty of branches and twigs that needed to be picked up before the grass could be cut.

It had been nearly a week since Ethan had gone off in search of Miss Parker and since Zoë had shown up. The thought of her brought a smile to his face. He enjoyed being with her. They were nearly inseparable since she had gotten there and his family had expressed how much they liked her. They still hadn't discussed how long she would be staying, but he hoped to talk her into staying for good. It was way past time to start a real life, one that didn't involve the Centre in any way.

Miss Parker had made it abundantly clear that she wasn't going to leave the Centre and he knew that he couldn't spend the rest of his life trying to convince her to. It hurt like hell to admit it at first, but he knew that the time for them, if there really ever was any, had passed. The only thing left to do was to find his mother and he had spent nearly every night on his laptop trying to track her down. Maybe she was a pretender, too, he mused with a soft smile as he tossed some sticks onto a pile. He had never had such a hard time trying to find someone.

"Hey, sexy, what are you thinking about?" Zoë called as she walked up to him with a bottle of water.

Jarod smiled and accepted the bottle gratefully. The sleeveless blue shirt he was wearing was soaked at the neck and under the arms with sweat. "Just thinking about how nice it is to relax for a change."

"Isn't it?" she said leaning into him. "I can't remember the last time I felt so content…so at home."

"Does that mean you're going to stay?" he asked hopefully.

"I'd like to," she said tentatively, "but how does your family feel about having a new member?"

"My family thinks you're great."

"Well, then I guess it's settled."

Jarod grinned and pulled her into a kiss.

Later that night, after a filling dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans, Jarod and Zoë lounged on the back porch together. He had never had someone to make future plans with and he was enjoying it very much. She understood that his search for his mother came before anything else and he was appreciative of that.

"We'll have to go and get the rest of your things," Jarod said as they swayed on the porch swing.

"It'll be fun. A road trip just like when we first met," she said excitedly.

"Jarod!"

They popped up immediately at the sound of his name being yelled from inside the house. Jarod ran through the back door and into the living room just in time to see Ethan burst through the front door carrying a passed out Miss Parker.

"Ethan, what happened?" Jarod said as he ran over to help situate Miss Parker on the couch. He was in a general state of panic at having her there, knowing how dangerous she was to his freedom along with the fact that she was pale as a sheet and bleeding badly from her right leg. No matter what had transpired between them in the past, he never wanted any harm to come to her.

"Jarod, you have to help her," Ethan said desperately. He was exhausted from all of the events of the last couple days.

Jarod was already busy removing the makeshift bandage from her thigh. The wrappings were soaked through with blood and the wound itself was atrocious.

"Son," Major Charles said referring to Ethan, "Why didn't you take her to a hospital? Why come all the way here?"

"We couldn't risk it. That's the first place they would have looked," he explained.

"The first place who would have looked?" Jarod asked.

"The Centre."

"The Centre did this to her?" Jarod asked confused. "Why would they be shooting at her?"

"Because she was helping me get away," Ethan said.

"Are we safe here anymore?" Emily piped in.

"No one followed us. She made sure we took the necessary precautions."

"Emily, I need some towels and hot water," Jarod commanded getting back to the situation at hand. "It looks like the bullet went completely through, but I'll need to clean the wound before bandaging it up." Jarod got up from his spot next to the couch and ran to get some more supplies.

Zoë watched as he rushed passed her. "Who is she?" she asked.

"Her name is Miss Parker," Jonathan supplied. "She works for the Centre."

"She's been trying to capture Jarod for years," Emily said as she came back into the room with the requested items. Jarod chose that moment to return also, with a bottle of disinfectant and some fresh bandages.

Zoë watched as he cared for the woman delicately. Despite the fact that the tall brunette was suffering from a gunshot wound, she looked like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Her long body just barely fit on the short couch. She only knew what Jarod told her about the Centre, but now she had at least a hundred more questions, mainly, why would Jarod be so intent on helping the woman who tried to take him back to such an awful place?

"She's lost a lot of blood," Jarod announced as he dipped one of the rags into the hot water and gently dabbed at the caked blood on her thigh. "She needs to be moved to someplace more comfortable."

"She can have my room," Ethan offered quickly.

"I'll go and get it ready," Emily offered rushing up the stairs.

Everyone watched as Jarod lifted the women into his arms carefully and slowly moved toward the steps. No one said anything about how tender his movements were although, everyone was thinking it. Zoë cleared her throat and followed behind him.

Once inside the bedroom, Zoë watched as Jarod laid her down cautiously and proceeded to remove the long boots from her legs. Her toenails were painted in a silvery gray color that matched her fingernails and she had a silver toe ring on the second toe of her right foot. Though Jarod's actions were strictly professional, Zoë watched in silent horror as he removed the woman's long, leather jacket and then her leather skirt, leaving her in nothing but her shirt and panties. Emily had gone downstairs to get the supplies and once she came back, Jarod continued to clean the wound and the bloodied flesh around it. Even though Miss Parker was clearly passed out from pain and exhaustion, Zoë couldn't help but feel that the scene was somehow intimate and it left her feeling uncomfortable.

After irrigating the wound with plenty of water, Jarod gently bandaged Miss Parker's thigh. "She has a fever," he said placing his hand on her forehead.

"I'll get some cool water," Emily said taking the bowl full of now bloodied water with her. She came back a few minutes later to see that Miss Parker was now covered from the waste down. Jarod took the items from her and soothingly dabbed at the perspiration on Miss Parkers face and neck. He stopped when she moaned a little and her eyes began to flutter open.

"Miss Parker?" he said softly. "Can you hear me?" Her piercing blue eyes locked onto his and her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Jarod?" came the deep voice, husky from fatigue.

"You're going to be fine," he reassured her as her eyes drifted closed once again. As he kept speaking to her, he realized that she had fallen back asleep. "We should probably let her rest now," he said looking up and finally paying some attention to the other two people in the room. He gave Zoë a small smile as they moved out into the hallway. Giving Miss Parker one last glance, he turned off the lights and shut the door.

They went downstairs to find Ethan, Jonathan and Major Charles in the kitchen. "How is she?" Ethan asked immediately.

"She's going to be fine," Jarod said patting his brother on the shoulder. "She just needs plenty of rest and she might need something for the pain. I'll probably have to go out tomorrow and get something."

Ethan sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I didn't have any choice but to bring her here."

"Was it the voices?" Emily asked.

"No, I made the decision by myself. I wasn't going to let the Centre get a hold of her again."

"Ethan, why was the Centre after the two of you?" Jarod asked.

"They must have had people watching her. We left her house together and when we stopped to rest, the voices told me that it wasn't safe. The Centre was on to us and they shot her when we were escaping," he explained.

"But can we trust her here with us?" Zoë asked. She didn't understand everything, but she knew that the woman upstairs couldn't be anything but bad news.

"We can't just abandon her," Jonathan exclaimed. "She was the first person to ever try and help me get away from the Centre. I don't know everything about her, but I know that she can't be all bad if she was willing to do that. Besides, she's Ethan's sister, so that kind of makes her family."

No one said anything. The name Parker didn't strike any warm chords in anyone's heart. The Centre and that family had caused more grief in their lives than a person could imagine. None of them wanted the woman to die, but they weren't sure how they felt about her staying with them either.

"Listen," Major Charles said, "it's been a crazy night. Why don't we all sleep on it and we can discuss this more rationally in the morning." Everyone agreed and after a few minutes, they were all tucked away in their respective rooms, with Ethan now sleeping on the couch. He understood his families concerns, but no matter what they decided come morning, he wasn't going to desert his sister.

-----

As the night wore on, Jarod lay awake with Zoë tangled around him. He didn't know what to think about Miss Parker showing up in his life so suddenly after such a long time. He was finally ready to let go, ready to make a life with the woman lying next to him, and here was Miss Parker under the same roof, in the room right next door.

After getting over the initial shock of it all, he found himself upset that someone from the Centre had once again interrupted his harmony. Ethan's explanation still left questions and he intended on getting the complete story as soon as Miss Parker woke up. He also knew that Zoë had questions for him and he intended to be honest with her.

He lay wide awake staring up at the ceiling, when he heard a noise coming from Miss Parker's room. Moving slowly as to not wake Zoë, he climbed out of bed and stepped into the hallway. Opening the door slowly, he peered inside, aided by the light of the moon, to see her sitting up on the edge of the bed. Her eyes snapped up to his when she sensed someone else in the room and she glared at him.

"Jarod," she stated, her voice low and groggy as if she didn't have the strength to speak any louder. "Where in the hell am I?"

"Don't you remember?" he asked stepping closer.

She eyed him wearily. "The last thing I remember is talking to Ethan in the car…where is he?"

"He's downstairs sleeping on the couch," Jarod said. "You might want to thank him for giving up his nice, comfortable bed," he remarked, unable to resist teasing her.

"Where's my gun?"  
"You don't need it. Assuming that you and Ethan covered your tracks well enough, no one should find you here."

"And where, exactly, is here?" she sighed with her trademark impatience.

"You're at my family's home in South Carolina."

"Grreeaat," she said laughing humorlessly. "I must be in hell." She ran a hand through her hair and attempted to stand up from the bed.

"Funny, I always thought that the place you just came from was the equivalent to hell," Jarod said absently as he moved closer still.

"I was always under the impression that there were different circles of hell," she said pushing herself forward.

"Well, the Centre does have sublevels…What are you doing? You shouldn't be moving around," he scolded concerned.

Miss Parker finally made it to a standing position and would have toppled forward had Jarod not been there to catch her. He slid his arms around her and tried easing her back down, but she resisted. He looked into her face, realizing that they were only a few inches apart. He could feel her warm breath on his lips.

Miss Parker had no choice but to hold onto him for balance, with her arm around his neck. She stared into his eyes unflinchingly. "Unless you've got a bedpan handy, I need to go to the bathroom," she said.

Jarod sighed softly and maneuvered to a better position to help her to the bathroom. She always had to make things so difficult. "You could have just said so in the first place."

They trekked slowly down the hallway and Miss Parker was very aware of the fact that she was in her panties, but could have cared less. The pain of a full bladder was nearly blocking out the excruciating pain in her leg and all she cared about was relief.

"I think I can handle it from here," she deadpanned after they had entered the bathroom. Jarod smirked, closed the door and waited patiently on the other side for her to finish. He listened as she turned on the faucet for a few minutes and then the door finally swung open. In the bathroom light, he could see that she had started to sweat again; no doubt, her fever was still going strong. He moved to support her again with her arm around his neck and his arm around her waist, his hand resting on the soft skin of her hip. As professional as he was capable of being, he figured a man would have to be dead not to notice Miss Parker in her underwear.

They finally, made it back to her room and he eased her down onto the mattress and helped her lift her legs. "How's the pain?" he asked pulling the blankets over her.

"Hurt's like hell," she ground out through tight lips.

Jarod noticed that her breathing was shallow and that she was probably holding back on how bad it really was. "Do you think you can hold out until tomorrow morning? I can get you something for the pain then," he said softly.

"I guess I don't have any choice."

"Is there anything else I can get for you?" he asked.

Miss Parker thought for a moment. "You can get me something to eat," she said. Somehow, it sounded like an order coming from her mouth. "I haven't eaten a single bite since yesterday afternoon."

Jarod looked at her reproachfully even though she didn't see it because her eyes were closed. He wished she would take better care of herself. He turned on the bedside lamp and then turned around to do her bidding. "I'll be back in a minute."

Miss Parker opened her eyes and watched his retreating form. He wasn't wearing a shirt and she absently admired his tanned back. What she really wanted was a cigarette, but she didn't even bother asking him, knowing he wouldn't give her one. She didn't know what she was going to do. The last place, aside from the Centre, that she wanted to be was surrounded by Jarod's version of the Walton's, and she had a hunch that the feeling was reciprocated.

As she waited for Jarod to return, she found that she couldn't keep her eyes open.

Jarod dug through the refrigerator trying to find something suitable for Miss Parker to eat. His first thought was fried chicken, but he smirked as he envisioned her throwing a plate of it at his head. Besides, she probably needed something lighter considering the shock her body was going through from the gunshot wound. The only thing he could find was some fruit salad that Emily had made. He scooped some into a bowl, filled a glass with water and carried it upstairs. When he entered the room, he noticed that Miss Parker's breath was deep and even. Sitting the fruit and water quietly on the night stand, he backed out of the room and joined a still sleeping Zoë in his own room.

**To be continued…**


	3. Dealing

Glad you guys are enjoying this so far. I can't guarantee when my next update will be. I will be leaving town tomorrow and I won't have time to work on it then.

Once again, thanks for the reviews!

_**Part 3**_

The next morning, Miss Parker woke up to an extremely stiff leg and the pain seemed to have worsened throughout the night. Ethan had come in a little earlier to check on her and bring her bags to her. She was attempting to get up again when there was a knock on the door.

"What?!" she answered in her usual sharp tone. The door opened a crack and Jarod stuck his head inside.

He sighed at her hardheadedness and entered the room fully. "I've brought you something for the pain. What do you think you're doing?" he gestured.

"I'm going downstairs," she said. The room was stuffy as hell and there was no way she was going to stay in it all day.

"Miss Parker, you need to be in bed resting," he said firmly.

"Look, you can either help me or not, but I am not staying in this boiler room all day." They stared at each other for a few moments until Jarod finally relented.

"You'll need to put something on. Can't have you scandalizing my family by going around in your panties," he smirked. "Poor Jonathan would have a heart attack," he said reaching for her skirt which was on the floor with her jacket. It had dried blood on it, but it was the easiest thing for her to put on without jarring her leg too much.

"Who is Jonathan?" she asked as he helped her step into the skirt. She hated having to depend on him so much.

"He's my clone."

She saw Ethan sleeping on the couch as they passed the living room on the way to the kitchen. He helped her into one of the chairs and then she watched as he took out the makings for breakfast.

Jarod rooted around in the fridge for the ingredients. "I noticed that you didn't touch the fruit I left you last night. You'll need something to eat before you take your medication." He looked over to see that she was staring at him intently, but didn't say anything. It was rather unnerving because he had no idea what she was thinking. They stayed in silence for nearly half an hour before they heard the stirrings of the rest of the household.

A few minutes later, Miss Parker watched as a bleary eyed redhead came strolling into the kitchen, walking right passed her and over to Jarod.

"Morning, babe," she said leaning into him for a hug and a kiss. She snaked her arms around his waist and her hands trailed down to his butt.

Jarod nearly jumped ten feet and glanced over to see Miss Parker staring at them with the same intense look.

"Uhh…Zoë, there's someone you should meet," he said gesturing to Miss Parker. Zoë turned around suddenly to see the woman sitting there. "Zoë, this is Miss Parker…Miss Parker, Zoë."

"Nice to meet you," Zoë said cordially, silently sizing up the woman.

"I'm sure," Miss Parker said with a very faint, and not very friendly, smile. She knew she was being sized up. She could feel the insecurity rolling off the petite redhead in waves.

Zoë decided that she wasn't going to act any different towards Jarod just because Miss Parker was sitting there. They were an item after all. She turned to give him another good morning kiss before moving to the refrigerator for some orange juice.

Miss Parker kept a straight face, but on the inside she was highly annoyed. Not only did she have to put up with The Walton's, but apparently Jon-Boy had a girlfriend, too. She could just picture it, an over affectionate Zoë trying to make sure Miss Parker knew who was whose. The last thing she needed on top of everything else she had to deal with was a jealous girlfriend.

"Jarod, would you mind speeding it along? I'm about to pass out over here," Miss Parker barked exasperated.

Zoë watched irritated as Jarod fixed the grumpy woman a plate and hurried out of the room only to come back a few seconds later with a prescription for her. Then he moved to the jug of orange juice that was now sitting on the counter and poured her a glass. How dare the woman be so demanding when she was the one in need of Jarod's hospitality? But what really ticked her off was that Jarod didn't seem to be the least bit bothered with the woman's attitude.

"Make sure and eat all of it," he ordered.

Miss Parker looked at the heaping plate of food and huffed. "Maybe if I was the size of an elephant." She took a small bite of the scrambled eggs and finished the toast off fairly quickly. She didn't touch the fried bacon, afraid that the grease would do a number on her sensitive stomach.

By the time Jarod had finished cooking breakfast, the rest of the family had trickled into the kitchen, gathering at the table as usual. Ethan, of course, and Jonathan were the only two who greeted her with any real sort of enthusiasm. The major and Emily had politely inquired about her health, but otherwise turned to conversation with the people around them. She was actually glad no one was talking to her. Her leg throbbed painfully and she sat as still as possible hoping the medication would start working soon.

Jarod looked up from his plate to notice that Miss Parker was dozing off in her chair.

"Thanks for breakfast, Jarod. I'm off to the shower," said Emily as she cleared her plate from the table and left the room. Major Charles and Jonathan left not too long afterwards to begin their day.

As Miss Parker dozed, she wondered what a family in hiding did all day. Trips into town were probably only made when absolutely necessary for groceries and other supplies. She thought she saw a television in the living room. Knowing this family, they probably sat around playing board games and singing songs. She couldn't help the bubble of laughter that rose up.

Ethan heard her laughing quietly and looked over at her with a confused smile. "You okay, Miss Parker?" he asked.

"I think the painkillers are finally kicking in," Jarod smiled.

"Ethan, call me Parker," she said putting a hand on his shoulder. "You are my brother after all; it hardly makes sense for you to have to be so formal."

"What's your first name?" Zoë asked innocently enough. Everyone looked at her and then turned to look at Miss Parker. Jarod was the only one among them who new that little secret and Zoë wasn't about to become number two.

Miss Parker looked at her with a suddenly sober face. "If I told you…I'd have to kill you." She saw the fear in the redhead's eyes and then proceeded to grin slowly. Jarod and Ethan laughed out loud. It was a rare treat to see a silly side of Miss Parker even if her sense of humor was a bit dark.

Zoë watched them all a bit miffed. She wasn't so sure that the dark woman _was_ kidding.

-----

After breakfast, Miss Parker was fast asleep on the couch in the den with all of the windows wide open. A nice breeze made the curtains billow. She refused to go back upstairs to the stuffy heat in her room and no one could really blame her. It was only ten o'clock in the morning and it was already pushing eighty-five. Jarod had changed her bandages again and for the first time she got a clear view of the hideous wound without blood and gunk marring the sight. She was even forced to lie on her stomach for a while as he looked at the entry wound at the back of her thigh, which he wasn't able to do the night before. She noticed that Zoë had been hovering over Jarod ever since breakfast just as she suspected and was present during the bandage change. She was probably annoyed that her boyfriend was touching another woman's leg even though the circumstances surrounding it were utterly and completely unromantic. Silly girl.

The rest of the family had decided that there was no way they could turn someone away when they were in such need, even if it was a Parker. Emily was the one who voiced the fact that the woman would probably want to leave as soon as she was well enough anyway. Needless to say, Zoë wasn't happy about the arrangement, but she kept her mouth shut knowing she was outvoted.

She found him outside, just having finished cutting the grass. With a bottle of cold water in hand, Zoë made her way over to where Jarod was near the entrance to the barn where the tractor was kept.

"Hey, you," she said as she got closer. He was covered from head to toe in cut up grass. Reaching up, she wiped some of the green specks away from his face. Jarod gave her his best smile and greedily gulped down the water.

"I'm guessing that you're ready for that talk we're supposed to have," he said.

Zoë shrugged lightly. "Things are starting to get rather confusing," she began. "I don't understand why you're so willing to help that woman after the things she's done to you."

"She hasn't _really_ done anything to me," Jarod said lamely defending Miss Parker. Zoë looked at him incredulously. Obviously, Miss Parker hadn't always made things easy for him, but it would only be fair to admit that he egged her on most of the time. He knew very well that the Centre wouldn't have been able to catch up to him if it hadn't been for some clue he had left them, and he knew when he left them that Miss Parker was smart enough to figure them out. As serious as his situation was, he had fun goading her along. He had purposely tantalized her with bits and pieces about her past because he wanted her to realize all of the lies that made up the Centre.

"How can you say that?" Zoë said.

Jarod realized that this conversation was going to be a lot tougher than he thought. "Miss Parker and I have known each other for a very long time, Zoë…since we were kids. She was the very first girl I had ever seen, the first friend I ever had, the first person I had ever developed romantic feelings for. I was there at the Centre when she saw her mother murdered." _Or at least what we all thought was a murder_, he added silently in his head. That subject was too complicated to get into and a part of him felt like he was betraying Miss Parker by talking about her mother. It was her story to share or not. "It was a very traumatic experience for her and it wasn't long after that that things changed. We had become the best of friends…me, her and another boy named Angelo, but her father suddenly whisked her away to a private school in Europe. I didn't see her again until years later and by then she was a different person."

"You mean the person who has been hunting you like an animal for the past seven years?" She was really trying to understand, but he talked about this woman like she was innocent in all of this.

Jarod turned around to walk into the barn and let out a silent sigh. It was very hard to explain this to a person on the outside. Unless someone had been a part of the situation from the beginning, they couldn't possibly understand how the Centre used and manipulated people until they became what they wanted them to be, even good people like Miss Parker.

"Listen, Jarod, it's obvious that you care about this woman and I can understand that considering she was your friend as a child," Zoë said trying a different approach.

"Really?" he said looking at her hopefully. Most people couldn't begin to understand the complicated relationship he had with Miss Parker.

"Yes, really," she smiled. "I think that you've got an awful big heart to still care about someone who hasn't been very nice to you. The important thing is that once she's well enough, she'll be able to move on with her life and so can we."

Jarod allowed himself to be pulled into a hug and frowned as he rested his chin on her shoulder. He had no doubt that Miss Parker would want to leave as soon as she could, but now that she was away from the Centre, he wasn't sure that he wanted her out of his life any longer. He was sure a few days ago. At least, he had been ready to try, but now…now he didn't know.

-----

Two weeks had passed and Miss Parker was healing nicely. It was another hot day and she was sick and tired of being cooped up in the house. The family just had lunch and Ethan was helping her walk into the living room. They stopped at the back of the couch when Jarod came in the front door carrying a pair of metal crutches and a grocery bag full of something in brightly colored packages, probably a new candy he had discovered, Miss Parker thought. He dropped the bag by the door and walked over to her grinning.

"Well, now that you've had some time to heal properly, I think you've earned the right to use these." He held them out to her.

"And just how long have you had these, lab rat?" she asked as she snatched them from him.

"Since the day I went to get you something for the pain." He only smiled wider at the ire spreading across her face.

"I see some things never change. You still enjoy making my life a living hell."

Jarod, still smiling, moved around her and headed upstairs to his room. Zoë, who had heard the entire exchange from the kitchen, entered the living room and walked over to Miss Parker. "That was nice of him to bring you those crutches, huh?" she said.

"Oh, yes, Wonder Boy is a real saint," Miss Parker responded, still annoyed. She leaned against the back of the couch in order to adjust the length of the crutches.

"Why do you degrade him like that when he has done nothing but help you?" Zoë had decided that she was going to stand up to this overbearing woman. For the past two weeks everyone had to put up with her attitude and sarcastic remarks, but the part that was annoying was that no one else seemed to care. She even noticed that Major Charles was warming up to the woman, even laughing at some of said sarcastic remarks.

Miss Parker took her sweet time adjusting the crutches as Zoë stood there with her hands on her hips waiting for an answer. She then got up to face the shorter woman, gazed at her unflinchingly and leaned in closer. "He _likes_ it when I call him names," she whispered with a predatory smile. She placed her crutches under her arms and then hobbled around the redhead and out the back door.

Ethan, who was quiet as the whole thing played out, cleared his throat uncomfortably and hurried to follow his sister.

"So, Ethan," Miss Parker said smiling, "How about a grand tour of this place." Her situation was grim, but she felt better than she had in a long time for some reason. Maybe it was seeing the pissed off look on Zoë's face a few minutes ago. The woman was determined to pick a bone with her, but she had no idea who she was messing with. You didn't grow up at the Centre and not know how to hold your own.

Ethan happily showed his sister around the large property, stopping here and there so she could rest and then continue on. He liked spending time with her. She was the closest he would get to ever knowing what their mother was like.

"It'll hurt Jarod's feelings if you and Zoë can't get along," he told her quietly as they rested at the edge of the pond.

Miss Parker looked at her brother and sighed quietly. "Don't worry about me and Zoë, Ethan. Besides, I won't be here much longer anyway," she said.

"But you can't leave," cried Ethan. "You just got here."

Miss Parker looked at him and ran a hand through his hair. "In case you hadn't noticed, little brother, I'm not exactly your family's favorite person. Besides, there is no way that me staying here indefinitely would work. It'd just be plain weird," she said shaking her head.

"Well, when you do leave, I'm going with you," he said with finality.

"Your family won't like that." She knew she couldn't really stop him from coming with her and secretly she was thrilled. There weren't many people in the world who were concerned with her first and foremost. The Centre was most important to her father, Jarod was always first in Sydney's life and her mother…she had never been sure. It was nice to think that maybe she was first in her mother's life, but so many things suggested otherwise. She knew her mother loved her, but that didn't ease the pain of knowing that she faked her death, leaving her traumatized and lost.

"You're my family, too and you're just as important to me as they are," he told her. "I want to spend time with you."

They were interrupted by the sound of someone approaching and turned to find that it was Major Charles. "Sorry to interrupt. Jarod is looking for you, Ethan."

"Go on. We'll talk more later," Miss Parker told him. She and the Major watched as he walked off. After staring out at the sparkling water for a few more moments, she turned and slowly trekked back toward the house and Jarod's father followed.

"You know, it still amazes me how much you look like her," he began.

Miss Parker mentally rolled her eyes. She got sick of hearing that because most people expected that the resemblance went further than looks, but it didn't. She was nothing like her mother.

"You may not believe it, but you two _are_ a lot alike."

"You don't even know me," she stated as she continued to hobble forward on the crutches.

"That's a true enough statement, but I've been living with you for the past few weeks. I think I've picked up on a little of who you are," he said. "Your mother was one of the sweetest, kindest people, I ever met, but there was another side to her as well. I've seen her angry and upset and believe me, it was a sight to behold. She had just as much fire and passion as you do, but she didn't show it often. You on the other hand…" he trailed off.

She turned to see that he was smiling at her. No one had ever told her that about her mother, not even Ben.

"But I've seen you talking with Jonathan and Ethan. You're different with them than you are with everyone else and that softer side reminds me of your mother."

She didn't say anything as the Major walked off ahead of her. Stopping in the middle of the yard, she spotted a stand of trees off to the right with what looked to be a hammock tied between two of them. Not yet ready to go back inside, she went over to it and made herself comfortable.

Moving around to find a position that didn't put too much strain on her leg, she dropped the crutches to the ground and closed her eyes against the bright sun. It had been years since she was able to just _be_ like this. No one bothering her, no looking over her shoulder. She would have loved nothing more than a cool drink at that moment, but the idea of trudging to the house and struggling back to the hammock with a drink was unappealing.

_Where's Broots when you need him?_ she thought. She realized that she missed her lovable moron and Sydney, too. So much had been happening that she forgot all about contacting them. She wondered if Jarod had talked to them. Next time she saw him, she would ask.

Before long, the summer sounds of birds singing, the wind rustling the leaves and the humid air had lulled Miss Parker to sleep.

**To be continued…**


	4. Arguing

I would have had this out yesterday, but I kept on getting an error message.

Thank you, reviewers!

_**Part 4**_

Jarod stood up from his spot at the kitchen table and stretched. He had been working on his laptop, distributing the picture of his mother and contacting people who could help him find her. Going into the living room, he found it empty. The entire house was empty. He stepped out onto the front porch to see Ethan relaxing.

"Where did everyone go?" he asked.

"Dad is working in the barn and Zoë, Jonathan and Emily went swimming," he said.

"What about Miss Parker?"

"She's out resting in the hammock." Ethan had gone back out to talk to her only to find her fast asleep.

Jarod nodded and walked off the front porch to go around back. He went straight to where Miss Parker was and stood watching her for a few minutes. She looked so peaceful, an adjective not usually associated with the dark beauty.

"Are you going to stand there staring at me all day?" came her deep voice. Her eyes were still closed.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked frowning.

"You made so much noise that I thought a herd of elephants were coming my way," she exaggerated. "You must be losing your touch." She finally opened her eyes and locked her piercing, blue gaze onto him.

Jarod smiled lazily and plopped down Indian style in the grass beside the hammock. "This is the only place I _can_ let my guard down, even if it is only a little."

Miss Parker understood what he meant, but she didn't voice it aloud.

"How are you doing?" he asked referring to her leg.

"Other than the fact that I look like I just came home from the war…peachy."

"You aren't acting very worried for someone whose life has just been turned upside down," he observed.

"Well, what can I say?" she said with a flick of her wrist. "The Centre isn't a place that I'm gung ho to go back to anyway."

"It must be more than that," he said confused.

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out by now. You seem to know more about what's going on in my life than I do at any given moment," she scoffed.

Jarod's brow furrowed as he put two and two together. "You were planning on leaving the Centre anyway," he said softly as realization dawned on him.

"One point for the genius."

"Why did you keep it a secret? I would have helped you." _I would have done anything for you_, he added silently.

"Not as hopeless as you thought I was, eh? Believe it or not, Jarod, I've realized that something needed to change in my life for quite some time, but it's hard to make that change when you're constantly being watched. I'm sure you know that everyday in that place was a fight for life. And now with Raines in charge…" she trailed off.

"But why not come to me for help? If anyone could have it was me," he said.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't want your help?!" she said suddenly angry. "I just wanted to be left alone for a change. No games, no manipulations. I've been manipulated my entire life and by everyone in it," she accused.

"All I ever wanted to do was help you see the truth," Jarod told her.

"Yeah, by throwing my mother in my face every chance you got, the one thing you knew would hurt me more than anything. Teasing me with information about her to lure me into all your little twisted games! I'm sure there are things you know about her that you still haven't told me, no doubt waiting to use them against me." Too angry to lie still any longer, Miss Parker slowly struggled from the hammock.

"It was never my intention to hurt you, Parker."

"Yeah, well excuse me if the smirks and smug tones said different."

Jarod watched as she gathered her crutches and stood slowly. He was suddenly hit with his own anger. "You aren't the only one who has been manipulated and lied to their entire life. All I've ever wanted was to find my family, but my very own _huntress_ was doing daddy's will to make sure that never happened," he growled.

"Oh, come off it, Jarod!" Miss Parker said turning to face him. "We would have never even found you half of the time if you didn't want us to. Maybe if you had stopped playing games long enough you would have found them sooner, but you couldn't help taunting and teasing."

"So now it's my fault?" he said looking at her disbelievingly. He stood up from his spot in the grass and stood toe to toe with her. "Excuse me for wanting to have a life!"

Miss Parker deflated. She had been arguing and fighting and surviving her whole life and she was tired of it all. She leaned against one of the massive oak trees and dropped her head forward. Jarod watched her and turned away trying to calm down.

"I never thought that you didn't deserve a life, Jarod," she began. "I just thought that I deserved one, too, and I would have done anything to have it…even if that meant bringing you in. In the end, it was a game of survival. I _had_ to keep chasing you if I wanted to stay alive." She smiled bitterly and ran a hand through her dark hair. "At first, I would have done whatever it took to please Daddy, but then a little _rat_ started showing me all of the lies and deception that surrounded him and the Centre." She slowly lowered herself to the ground and grimaced slightly when she strained her wound. "I didn't want to believe anything you told me, but there came a point when I couldn't deny it any longer. It made me more angry than anything, angry that my father constantly lied to me, angry that you seemed to know more about my hell of a life than I did, and most of all, angry that my mother had left me to deal with all of this on my own," she finished sadly. She still felt the pain of her mother's death like it was just yesterday.

"It's not good to be so angry," Jarod said quietly, his own having subsided.

Miss Parker gave a small grunt. "Tell me about it. I nearly killed myself because of it," she sighed, referring to her ulcer. "I just wanted to be able to trust the one person I had left in the world…my father…and he even lied about that."

They sat for a long time in silence, both pondering the hand they had been dealt in life. As much as Miss Parker just wanted to disappear, she knew that her business with the Centre was unfinished. She still had a baby brother in that place, if in fact he was really her brother, and she had no intentions of leaving him there to rot at the hand of Raines, Lyle and the Triumvirate. She had let too many opportunities to do the right thing pass her by and she wasn't going to let it happen again. As she looked over at Jarod, she wondered whether or not she should tell him about it. He was so close to being reunited to his mother and she didn't want to interfere in that by dragging him into Centre business. Baby Parker was _her_ family; it should be her to deal with it. There was no denying the fact that he could help better than anyone though.

"You know, there is one thing that's good and true in our lives," Jarod spoke breaking her from her thoughts.

"What's that?" she asked skeptically.

"We've never lied to each other." And, ironically, it was true. "We've grown up on nothing but lies, but somehow we've managed not to become as evil as the people who have manipulated us." Jarod watched as she rubbed her leg lightly. "Do you need another pain pill?" he asked.

"Unfortunately," she said as she struggled to stand. Jarod moved to help her immediately. "Those things are as big as jawbreakers."

"I love jawbreakers."

"So do I when I don't have to swallow them whole."

"You like jawbreakers?" he asked surprised, but she wasn't paying him any attention. Jarod noticed her looking longingly at the hammock. "Why don't you stay out here and I'll go and get it for you. You should be resting anyway."

"Well, I was until some stalker tried to creep up on me and ruined my nap," she teased straight-faced. Jarod smiled and helped her to sit and swing her legs up. Miss Parker looked at him as she laid back. He was dressed in a pair of baggy, black shorts and a red t-shirt. He had a shadow of a beard and he looked ruggedly handsome, much younger than he was. The fact that his body was in tip top shape made him seem much more so.

Jarod left to get her pain pill and something to drink, and then sat in the grass next to her again. It sort of reminded him when they were kids, just being together. A fond memory surfaced and he smiled. "Do you remember when we were kids and you tricked me into doing your essay on Huck Finn?"

Miss Parker laughed. "That's right. I got an A+. What did I trick you with?"

"You said that if I did the essay we could hold hands," he said wryly at being tricked by a pretty thirteen year old Miss Parker.

"You loved every minute of it," she said smiling beautifully, "and if I remember correctly, your palm was sweating so bad you had to keep letting go to wipe it off." Jarod laughed. Miss Parker yawned and let her eyes drift shut. The pills made her sleepy and she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. "Jarod?"

"Hm?"

"For what it's worth…I'm sorry," she said softly. "And you don't have to worry about me interfering in your business anymore. I'll be leaving just as soon as I can and you can get on with your life…"

She trailed off and Jarod realized that she had fallen asleep. He didn't want her to leave. It would be too dangerous for her out there alone. She didn't know what it was like having to run from a force as powerful as the Centre. He wanted to help her and he couldn't do that if he didn't know where she was.

"Jarod!" He turned around to see Zoë waving to him from several yards away and hurried from near Miss Parker so they wouldn't disturb her.

-----

The family and Miss Parker had settled into a comfortable existence. Miss Parker mostly stayed to herself and avoided Zoë as best she could. The woman grated on her nerves, so she figured it best to keep away from her all together. She and Emily were polite enough to each other, but it didn't really go any further than that. The Major continued to seek her out and tell her stories about her mother and she was grateful for it. She and Jarod had been getting along, but the occasional spat still surfaced here and there. She had a suspicious feeling that he provoked her on purpose.

It was almost dinner time and she was upstairs in her room sorting through her things. Luckily, she had packed some leisure clothing, but most of her things were too out of place to be worn around the country home. She had managed to clean the blood from her leather skirt with some kind of miracle cleaning solution that Jarod had concocted. She had been washing and wearing the same three pairs of underwear and she was getting sick of it. She normally had the freedom to just shop for anything she needed wherever she went, but lying low had its prices. The heat had been too extreme to wear any of the clothes she brought, so she had borrowed a few t-shirts from Ethan. They were incredibly unflattering, but they would have to do.

Leaving her sorting for later, she grabbed her crutches and headed downstairs. She walked into the kitchen to find that everyone was already seated for dinner. Looking at the spread on the table, she rolled her eyes and gave a loud sigh: fried chicken, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. "We're having fried chicken _again_?" she complained. She looked at Jarod who looked sheepish and she knew it was his doing. Everyone else was probably being polite, conceding to Jarod's obsessive and quirky ways. "Are you _trying_ to flare up my ulcer with all of this heavy food?" She stalked to the refrigerator and pulled out the makings for a salad. Everyone else continued eating and talking quietly.

"Have you been taking your medication for that?" Jarod asked genuinely concerned.

"She's a big girl, honey. I'm sure she can remember to take her medicine," chimed in Zoë.

Miss Parker continued to tear the lettuce as if no one had spoken to her.

"Miss Parker hasn't always been known for taking the best care of herself," Jarod joked.

"Yeah, well, maybe I could get a little more sleep if someone didn't keep blaring Motown's greatest hits every damn night," she grumbled, not noticing the embarrassed faces at the table.

As far as Zoë was concerned, Miss Parker was well enough to leave, but Jarod insisted that she wasn't and he insisted on changing her bandages still.

Miss Parker finished with her salad, forwent the crutches that were now leaning against the wall and walked outside to the back porch. No one questioned her preference to be alone and no one took it personally. Ethan excused himself and went to join her.

"Hey," he said sitting next to her at the small wrought iron table.

"Hey," she returned. She watched him eat and smiled. She really, genuinely liked Ethan. They didn't always have to talk to communicate and she liked that. After they had finished dinner, they took a short walk around the property. It was such a beautiful place. It reminded her of how much she missed her own home.

When they returned to the house, Jarod was waiting for them on the porch with a plate of steaming pasta. "Miss Parker," he smiled, "I made you something else for dinner since you didn't want the chicken."

"Jarod, you didn't have to go through all of that trouble," she told him, but the food sure did smell good.

"That's what I told him," came a voice from the screen door. Jarod looked back to give Zoë a confused look. He didn't understand why she was being so hostile. He would have done the same thing for her. Having a girlfriend was puzzling.

Miss Parker smirked and sat down to the food. "It smells delicious, Jarod," she gushed, touching his arm. "Thank you."

Ethan shook his head at his sister's antics and tried to hold back a smile. Zoë's own lack of confidence in her and Jarod's relationship was going to be her downfall.

"Well," Jarod said grinning like a fool, "I just figured you needed more to eat than that measly salad. Besides, you're my test subject. I've never made this before." She squinted her eyes at him and he grinned even harder.

Zoë stomped away from the door.

**To be continued...**


	5. Kissing and Shopping

_**It's great to hear that you all are liking this so much. Thank you. **_

**_I will try and continue to update regularly, but I can't make any promises. I have to go out of town again this weekend and I probably won't have time to write, but I will try to post one more section before then._**

_**Part 5**_

Miss Parker lay in bed that night tossing and turning. She awoke abruptly and turned on the lamp beside her bed. Her hair was soaked with sweat and the humid air from the open windows did nothing to cool her down.

Yet another nightmare about her mother. She couldn't even count how many she'd had over the years. Hundreds maybe, and they all scared the hell out of her.

Throwing back the sheet, she climbed from the bed and dug through the nightstand for her cigarettes, which were lying on top of her 9mm. There were only two left. "Damn it." So far, she had managed to take clandestine cigarette breaks without anyone catching her. Grabbing one of the sticks and her lighter, she made her way downstairs and out the back door, without the use of her crutches. She was sick of the damn things and her leg was starting to feel a lot better anyway. She made her way to the hammock with the help of the moonlight, lit her cigarette and lay down. She had barely exhaled her first puff of smoke, when she heard his voice.

"Parker, you shouldn't be smoking those. They'll only make your ulcer worse," he chided.

Miss Parker craned her neck to look at him and took another drag. "You didn't seem to care when you left that carton in my room in Minneapolis," she reminded.

"Oh, come on," he said in that smug tone she hated so much, "I figured you had enough will power to resist."

She huffed and continued to smoke her cigarette in quiet. "What are you doing out here?" she asked after a few moments. She heard a small sigh.

"Zoë is mad at me and I don't know why. I figured now was a good time to go camping," he explained.

"Camping?"

"Yeah, I'm set up near the pond."

"I've never been camping before," she said as she stood from the hammock and knelt down to put out the cigarette. She wasn't wearing any shoes.

"It's a great feeling to sleep outside. I feel so free when I do and the sounds of the water make it even better," he explained. "Come on. I'll show you." He led the way to his camp, surprised that Miss Parker had actually followed. He didn't figure her for the hangin' out in the woods kinda gal.

She looked around at the small tent and fire he had going with nearly ten bags of marshmallows scattered about. "Jarod, I'm surprised your teeth aren't rotten with all of the junk you eat," she said shaking her head. She sat down carefully on one of the logs he'd set up for chairs.

Jarod smiled and proceeded to roast her a marshmallow. Surprised yet again when she ate it, and off of a stick too! He continued to roast marshmallow after marshmallow until she told him she was full.

"If I eat one more I'll burst, Pez head."

"I have some of those, too if you want," he offered innocently.

Miss Parker rolled her eyes and climbed into the tent carefully. She was getting sleepy again and her leg was getting sore from the long walk, but she didn't want to go back to the house.

Jarod watched as she laid down on his sleeping bag and pillow. He smiled and crawled in next to her, plopping his head down on the floor of the tent. Miss Parker was fun when she wasn't pointing a gun at him and sometimes even when she was.

It hadn't escaped Miss Parker's attention that she and Jarod were essentially sharing a bed. She looked over to see that his eyes were closed and he had a small smile on his lips. This was all innocent to him and she was glad because she never intended for it to be anything more. Truth be told, she didn't want to be alone after the nightmare she'd had, but she'd rather die than admit that to him.

Snuggling her head further into the pillow, she closed her eyes and smirked. Zoë would go nuts if she could see them now.

-----

The next morning, Jarod woke up to find something soft and warm pressed up against his body and upon opening his eyes, he found that it was Miss Parker. His head had somehow snuck onto the pillow and they were practically nose to nose. His arm was around her tiny waist, his hand resting on the ground behind her. Her arms were tucked in between them and she was sleeping peacefully. He didn't want to move, but he knew he should in case someone found them. Instead, he studied her face. She hadn't worn much make-up since she had been there and she looked just as beautiful without it, he thought. She had smooth skin and he bet it was soft, too. She even had a nice tan going. Her shiny, dark hair, grown longer than usual, hung in her face and he resisted the urge to move it aside. His eyes moved down to her lips which were ever so slightly parted. He looked at the baggy gray t-shirt she was wearing and smiled. Never had he seen Miss Parker so casual and he loved it. Normally, she was dressed to kill, and although she looked great in her expensive and vast wardrobe, he thought she looked cute in their brother's borrowed clothes. He slowly lifted his head to look down at her long legs and noticed that she also had on a pair of Ethan's basketball shorts. Laying his head back down, he looked up to see that her sleepy, blue eyes were now open and staring directly at him.

"Morning," he said softly. She didn't respond, but just continued staring and he smiled. Miss Parker wasn't a particularly joyful person, but there was just something about her that always made him smile. No longer able to resist, he brought his hand up and gently moved the hair away from her face. His finger trailed softly down her cheek and he leaned in slowly to kiss her.

He found her lips to be unbelievably soft and he was pleasantly surprised to feel them moving against his own. His fingers slid into her thick hair and he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding gently passed her lips to tease hers softly.

Miss Parker had no idea how long the kiss lasted. She was lost in the sensation of it all, the feel of his rough beard against her face, his tongue exploring leisurely. It had been a long time since she'd had the pleasure of kissing anyone. Her fingers snaked through his hair as she pulled him closer. The kisses were long and slow and only ended with the need to breath.

Jarod didn't want to stop and continued to place little kisses on her lips. Ever since she had arrived he had been having conflicting feelings. One moment he was angry at her and the next he couldn't stop thinking about her and what they had almost shared on Carthis. It was only the second time they had ever kissed, and as thrilled as he was with the first one as a boy, he much preferred kissing her as a full grown man.

"What was that for?" she asked quietly, as he finally pulled away. Her fingers were still massaging his scalp.

"I couldn't help myself," he said leaning above her.

He dropped down for yet another kiss and Miss Parker was realizing that she could barely help herself either. She couldn't deny the fact that she had always been attracted to him. He felt so good in her arms, but she knew they couldn't take things any further. It took all of her willpower to stop him and she placed a hand against his wonderfully hard chest. "Jarod, we have to stop," she said softly.

"Why?" he whined.

"Because in case you've forgotten, you have a girlfriend," she said bringing him back to reality. As much as she wanted him right then, she wasn't going to be the one responsible for ruining his and Zoë's relationship, no matter how much she disliked the woman. "I should get back to the house," she said sitting up.

Jarod nodded soberly as she crawled over him, wincing slightly as she placed too much weight on her injured leg. "You should change your bandages when you get inside," he said absently. He would have done it for her like all the times before, but he wasn't sure if he could keep his hands to himself. He climbed out of the tent after she did and stood watching her.

"I need to go into town today," she told him as she straightened her clothes. "If I have to wear Ethan's baggy t-shirts and shorts for one more day I'll scream."

"Okay, I'll take you this afternoon," he offered.

Miss Parker gave a small smile of thanks and limped away.

Jarod knew he would never be able to stop thinking about their kiss. To him, it was like experiencing a new piece of candy for the first time, and, as far as he was concerned, Miss Parker was the best flavor he'd ever had. He could have laid there kissing her for hours and it still wouldn't have been enough. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to shake the thoughts from his mind. None of this was fair to Zoë. He had asked her to stay with him and now he was having all kinds of feelings for another woman.

But not just any woman. It was Miss Parker.

He looked down at the evidence of his burgeoning arousal and decided that a cool dip in the pond was needed before he went to the house.

-----

They drove along in a black jeep with Miss Parker in the passenger seat and Jarod at the wheel. She was dressed in an immaculate ensemble that consisted of a knee length skirt with a daring slit up the side, a matching olive green blouse and three inch, black heels. Luckily, the skirt was just long enough to hide her bandaged upper thigh. Her hair was combed perfectly and she had applied a light layer of make-up.

Neither had mentioned what happened in the tent that morning. When Jarod had finally made it into the house, he felt so guilty that he was sure Zoë would be able to look at him and figure out what happened. She was still angry with him for some unknown reason and he couldn't figure out why. Maybe he would ask Emily when they got home. She and Zoë seemed to have gotten pretty close.

He looked over at his passenger and sighed. "You know, we're supposed to be keeping a low profile here." His gaze lingered on the exposed part of her leg.

She looked at him over the top of her borrowed sunglasses. He was dressed in a pair of snug, black trousers and a tight, black, button down shirt. "I hope you didn't expect me to go out in public in the clothes Ethan let me borrow. Is there something wrong with my outfit?"

"Well, no, but…you tend to stand out in a crowd," he said. There was no way people wouldn't notice such a beautiful woman.

Miss Parker smirked and pushed her sunglasses back up. She hadn't been able to get the kiss from that morning out of her head, but she knew nothing could ever come of it. She was leaving soon and she doubted Jarod would abandon Zoë or his family. She realized she still hadn't asked him about contacting Sydney.

"I need to get a message to the Centre," she told him, her manner changing to a more serious one. "It's been over a month and I have no idea how Sydney and Broots are faring."

"We can call when we get home. I've been meaning to call him for some time now, but after Carthis…I guess I just needed some time away."

"I know what you mean," she told him softly. It was the first time either of them had spoken of the island.

Jarod found a parking spot at the busy shopping center and prepared for a few hours of store hopping. He had never been shopping with a woman before, but if it was anything like what he saw on television, they would be there for a while and he would follow her around dutifully as she made her way through the stores.

They had been shopping for an hour before she suggested they find a place to rest. She refused to bring along her crutches and he had to admit that if he didn't already know she was injured, he never would have guessed it.

"Is your leg sore?" he asked. She nodded and scanned the crowd over the top of her sunglasses. Jarod did the same. It was never a good idea to get comfortable no matter how well you thought you covered your tracks.

Miss Parker decided that she liked this civility between her and Jarod. Life was much easier when they weren't arguing. "You stay here," she told him. "I'll be right back."

He watched her concerned for a moment until he saw her going into the lingerie store. She came out ten minutes later with a bag and waved him over so they could finish shopping. He gathered all of the other bags that were sitting by his feet and surmised that shopping with a woman was _exactly_ like it was on television.

Neither realized what an attractive couple they made as they strolled though the mall. Miss Parker was absolutely breathtaking and Jarod was incredibly handsome. She was the quintessence of feminine loveliness and he was decidedly male. They didn't notice the double takes as people passed them by.

"Alright, I'm finished," Miss Parker said later as they left the shoe store. Her leg was killing her and if they didn't sit down soon people were going to start noticing her limp.

"Do you mind if we make one more stop?" he asked.

"As long as I don't have to stand," she said. Jarod smiled and led the way to the car.

-----

Miss Parker sat in the jeep as Jarod strolled back to the car with two ice cream cones. It was beyond strange that they were carrying on like best friends after having been on opposing sides for so long. She guessed that he had never stopped being her best friend though. She smiled lightly as she accepted the ice cream and watched as he climbed into the driver's seat.

"So, this is mint chocolate chip?" he asked as he studied the green ice cream with chocolate specks in it.

"You've never had this kind before?" Miss Parker asked surprised. She would have thought he'd had all the flavors and maybe even invented a couple of his own by now.

"I was so taken with vanilla. I only tried chocolate a few weeks ago," he explained sheepishly.

Miss Parker daintily licked her cone while she watched Jarod tentatively taste his. A huge smile split his face. "It's very good," he exclaimed. He was finished with the first and had gone back to get a second before she had even gotten hers down to the cone.

"Here, you can have the rest of mine," she said. She hadn't really wanted any in the first place, but she thought she'd be nice and join him since he seemed so excited about it. He happily finished off the rest of hers while they sat people watching. A little girl was sharing a cone with her mother and it reminded Miss Parker of the days when her mother would take her for such treats. "You know, I wasn't even able to take anything of hers with me. Raines has probably had my house ransacked by now," she said softly. "Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he burned the place down considering it was my mothers."

Jarod saw the hate spread across her features when she talked about the ghoulish man. He couldn't blame her. If he found out that Raines had been the one who killed his mother…Well, he wasn't sure the man would still be alive. "Raines will get his," he told her with conviction. "You may not realize it about yourself, but you have a great amount of self control considering you had to work with the monster who…"

"Who killed my mother," she finished in a deceptively calm voice. "Believe me, there have been many instances where I was hanging on by a thread."

"Were you the one who shot his tank in that alley?" he asked. He remembered hiring the criminal behaviorist, Dr. Curtis, to analyze them, but the results were inconclusive.

"No," she told him, "It was Sydney." He looked at her shocked. "It shouldn't be much of a surprise, Jarod. Sydney would have done anything to protect you."

"But shooting Raines…"

"I wish the old goat hadn't missed. Many lives would be a lot easier if he hadn't."

Jarod took in the information as he slowly licked his now melting ice cream.

"You're going to drip everywhere if you don't snap out of it." She watched as he licked the sticky substance from his lips and smile at her. She was finding it harder than ever to keep from pulling him over and licking it off herself. "Come on, let's get back," she said trying to redirect her thoughts. "I need to start making preparations for when I leave. I'll need to use your computer if you don't mind."

Jarod's face fell at her words. "Where are you going to go?" he asked as he started the jeep.

"I haven't decided yet. I haven't seen Ben in quite some time and the Centre knows nothing about him."

They rode silently for a while before he spoke up again. "You know, you don't have to leave."

She gave a short laugh. "Oh, yes, I do, _especially_, after this morning," she said looking at the pathetic frown on his face.

"I know, but I've enjoyed becoming your friend again. I don't want to lose that."

"We'll keep in touch," she told him.

It was going to have to be Ethan who told them that he planned on tagging along with her. The rest of the trip was made in silence.

**To be continued...**


	6. Separation

**I'm loving the positive feedback. Thanks, reviewers!**

_**Part 6**_

They went their separate ways when they arrived home, Miss Parker to her bedroom to sort through her new purchases and Jarod sought out Zoë to see if she was still mad at him. He found her in the kitchen helping Emily start dinner. She didn't even acknowledge him. Deciding that he didn't feel like trying to find out what was wrong with her anymore, he sought out his father instead who was out by the pond fishing.

"Hey, son, why don't you get a pole and join me."

"No, thanks, Dad," he declined politely. "I need to talk to you," he said, "about women."

"Oh?" the Major said smiling knowingly.

Jarod sat down in the grass with his hands in his chin. "What happens when you have feelings for two women at the same time?"

"Well, son, I guess you just have to step back from the situation and decide which is more important to you. But it isn't fair to be with either one when you're so unsure," he said sagely.

"But how could I have fallen for two women who are so completely different from each other? Zoë is like a breath of fresh air. Things are always fast paced and exciting when she's around. And Miss Parker…" he sighed dreamily, "Miss Parker is…wonderful."

Major Charles smiled at his simple yet profound description of the brooding Miss Parker. He had it _bad_. "Don't worry," he said clapping his son on the back. "You'll figure it out."

Jarod sighed, wondering how he was going to possibly tell Zoë that he needed some time to sort things out. He could go on a pretend. That would certainly give him some time and from the way she was acting toward him lately, maybe she needed some time, too. Maybe she could go for a road trip while he was working on his pretend. He knew that she was a free spirit and wasn't used to staying in one place for long anymore than he was.

"Thanks, Dad." He realized that this was the first time he had gone to his father for advice instead of Sydney. He loved the psychiatrist, but he was glad his father was around to talk to these days.

-----

Miss Parker used her teeth to pull the tags off her new clothes and placed them into the suitcase she had bought. The bags she came to the house with weren't big enough to fit all her knew things. She decided that she was going to be leaving within a week. Her leg was healing nicely and she had to start making plans in order to get her brother away from the Centre. If she hadn't been caught with Ethan, her original plan for leaving the Centre would have been well underway and her little brother would probably be safe already. But things always had a way of not going how they were planned.

She had changed into a very short pair of jean shorts and a white tank top since they'd returned from the mall. It wasn't fun wearing heels with a wounded leg. Her face was once again clean of make-up and her hair was freshly brushed. The heat of the day called for a pony tail, but she wasn't very fond of them, so she suffered the consequences. A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"What?" she called absently.

"It's Ethan." She walked over and opened the door for him. "Did you get everything you needed?" he asked.

"Not everything, but it'll have to do for the time being," she told him as she continued to sort through her things. "Is everything alright?" She glanced over and saw the worried look on his face.

"I guess it'll be time for us to leave soon," he said.

"Ethan, you don't have to come with me. I know you love your family," she said trying to give him an out.

"No, I want to come with you. Besides, the voices say that you'll need me. It won't be easy hiding from the Centre."

"You'll have to tell them soon."

"Tell who what?" Jarod said walking into the room. Ethan and Miss Parker just stared at him.

"I'm going to be leaving with Miss Parker," Ethan told him bluntly.

Jarod sighed, but he wasn't as surprised as they thought he would be. "I thought you might be," he told them. He wished he were going with them. As much as he loved his family, he missed his roaming around from one pretend to another.

"Don't look so sad, Jarod. You're still stuck with us for a few more days," Miss Parker told him.

"I wish you could come with us, brother," said Ethan.

"Me too," he said looking at Miss Parker.

-----

_**3 Days Later**_

The sun was setting, creating a beautiful array of oranges and pinks across the sky. It was nearing six in the evening and Miss Parker was lying in the hammock she had commandeered weeks ago, watching the beautiful scene. She had been there since five and she had no intentions of getting up. She and Jarod had contacted Sydney and Broots and, luckily, they were okay. Sydney informed them that Raines knew better than to threaten him because now that Miss Parker was gone, he was their last hope of ever getting Jarod, and now her, back. They just hoped Raines didn't get desperate enough to try and use him in some harmful way. Broots was the best technical genius the Centre had, making him indispensable as well.

After doing some research online, she decided that she was going to head south. With Ethan along, she hoped they would be able to rely on his voices to point them in the right direction. It had been quite some time since the voices had spoken to her or since she'd had any premonitions and she decided to take it as a good sign. Once they were on the road, she planned on contacting Broots and enlisting him to find out what the Centre was doing with her baby brother. She didn't even know if the child had a name and the thought sickened her. It was just another example of how the Centre produced human beings as if they were nothing more than robots. Even though she doubted the child was her father's or even Brigitte's for that matter, she knew that if the baby _was_ somehow his that he would be tested for the pretender gene automatically. She and Lyle were tested for it, but the Centre had obviously had other plans for them aside from becoming pretenders. She had always wondered what stopped them from training her as one. _Was it you, momma?_ she wondered as she looked at the darkening sky. In her mind, it seemed more logical that the Centre would want as many pretenders as they could get, but there were still so many secret agendas at the Centre that she barely knew up from down anymore, so many things that the scrolls could have explained.

"Penny for your thoughts," came Jarod's deep voice above her.

"Not worth that much," she said still looking at the sky. It was becoming a habit between them. She would be relaxing in the hammock for hours and he would eventually wander out to talk to her. No wonder Zoë was upset with him. He spent more time with her than he did with his own girlfriend. "Why aren't you with Zoë?" she asked looking at him.

Jarod sat down in the grass and leaned back on his arms. "I think we had another argument."

"You think?"

"Well, she mostly argued and I just sat there," he confessed.

Miss Parker laughed. "Jarod I have a feeling that all of your problems will disappear when I leave," she told him.

"I don't want you to leave," he told her for the second time.

"Jarod," Miss Parker sighed rubbing a hand over her face. "We've already been through this."

"I know. It doesn't change my feelings though," he said quietly. "Why is it so easy for you to walk away after everything we've been through together?"

"Who said it was easy?!" she yelled throwing her hands up. She got up from the hammock and started walking toward the pond.

Jarod scrambled up from the ground and followed her. "I didn't mean to upset you," he said softly when she stopped near the edge.

"Yeah, well, you seem to have a knack for it." She looked over at him. He looked like a lost little boy and it pulled at her heartstrings. "Look," she began in a much softer tone, "I've never been the type to wear my heart on my sleeve. It doesn't mean that I don't care."

Jarod stepped closer to her and took her hand. "I don't want you to leave." She looked at him and it was one of the few times he had seen raw emotion on her face. All thoughts of anything but her floated away and he pulled her closer for another kiss. He didn't think there was any way to kiss Miss Parker but slowly. He didn't want to miss a thing when it came to her. Never had a woman affected him so strongly and she had been affecting him ever since she was a little girl. The kiss the other day was just a rekindling of something that had started between them long ago. It was always hard to think when she was around her except about how she looked, how she smelled, and now, how she tasted.

"Why are you making this so hard?" she whispered against his lips, her arms around him. It was becoming more and more difficult to be the voice of reason.

"I think I'm addicted to you," he said, his lips moving to her neck. And he was. When they were kids, he'd let her lead him into all sorts of trouble just for the opportunity to be with her. Even when she was hunting him he couldn't leave her alone, and now that they had stopped being enemies, he was falling for her…hard.

Miss Parker pulled him into a hug, not wanting to let him go either. "Jarod, you have to stay here," she whispered. "Your family needs you now more than ever and you have to find your mother." She pulled away slightly to look into his expressive brown eyes. "That's more important than _anything_. You're so close and you've been through too much to lose focus."

"I wouldn't lose focus with you. You keep me grounded, Parker," he smiled. "I've met hundreds of people since I've been out in the world, but I haven't met a single one who challenges me the way you do," he confessed.

Miss Parker closed her eyes wearily and rested her forehead against his. "I feel the same," she whispered. She was the Queen of Cool, but when Jarod was around she just couldn't seem to control her emotions. Usually, it was anger, but now it was something else.

"Then we should be together," he said squeezing her tighter. "If there's one thing I've learned out here, it's that life is too short to let things pass by. I try to live my life as fully as possible everyday and I know that you haven't had the chance to do so until now, but I want to show you how exhilarating it can be. We don't have to let the Centre control us anymore."

Miss Parker looked at him with glistening eyes and leaned in to kiss him softly. "You're not acting like much of a genius, genius." She smiled at his confused look. "Jarod, I'm not completely sure how much experience you've had with women, but it's not a good idea to confess your feelings to another while you still have a girlfriend. It tends to make things difficult," she explained as she lightly scratched his scalp with her fingernails. She hated to bring up the G-word, but she wasn't going to have him running off with her and ditching Zoë. She had promised she wasn't going to cause anymore trouble in his life and she meant it.

Jarod wanted to whimper as he felt her stepping back from him. He had forgotten about Zoë, like he always did when Miss Parker was around. He remembered his conversation with his father and he knew he had to let Miss Parker go while he figured things out. "Promise me you'll call when you get settled."

"I promise," she said. She watched him nod and then walk off with his head hanging. "Jarod," she called suddenly, not wanting him to go yet. "Thanks for taking care of me." He gave her a shaky smile and then continued on.

-----

The next day, Ethan and Miss Parker were gone and Jarod's mood had changed considerably. The family was sad to see Ethan go, but they all understood his decision. Jonathan and the Major had grown quite fond of Miss Parker and were sad to see her go as well. She and Emily hadn't really gotten to know one another, but the young woman wished her luck all the same. Zoë was grinning like the Cheshire cat and gave Ethan an enthusiastic hug. When it was time to say goodbye to Jarod, Miss Parker stepped close to him and planted an intimate kiss on the corner of his mouth. She stepped back to look at him and smiled as she used her thumb to wipe away any traces of lipstick. She then gave him a hug and watched over his shoulder as the grin slipped from Zoë's face. She figured that it wouldn't be very Miss Parker-like if she didn't at least show the girl who was really the boss.

After they were gone, Jarod dove into the task of finding his mother. Things had slowed down ever since Zoë showed up and then an injured Miss Parker. Ethan had told him that the voices said it would be soon and he was holding on to that. Everyone else knew to give him space when he was in such a state of focus, everyone except Zoë. Her mood was brighter than it had been in weeks now that Miss Parker was gone and she had been trying to coax Jarod out of his somber mood all day.

"Hey," she said entering the den where he had set up his laptop, "You know what would be fun?" She leaned over his shoulder and started placing kisses on his neck.

"Zoë, one second, please…" he said as he tried focusing on the information on the screen. She was whispering naughty things in his ear and it was only serving to make him angry rather than aroused. Didn't she realize how important this was to him?

Zoë stood back and sighed. She wasn't getting the desired response. She had been feeling cooped up lately and she was thinking she and Jarod could take a little trip now that things were back to normal.

Jarod snapped his laptop closed and stood to face her. He allowed himself to be pulled into an embrace as she began placing kisses along his jaw. "Wait," he began confused, "I thought you were upset with me?"

"Oh, Jarod, I was just in a mood. You were spending so much time with Miss Parker and I was beginning to feel neglected, that's all," she pouted.

"But she was in pain," he said still not understanding. His intentions were purely professional, at least at first.

"Jarod, you're so naïve sometimes. It wouldn't surprise me if she was faking it half the time just to get at me," she said angry.

"Miss Parker wouldn't have done that. She's a very independent woman and she would have told me to take a hike if she didn't think she needed me."

"Is that how it's going to be?" Zoë questioned. "Every time she _needs_ you, are you going to go running?"

"Yes," Jarod responded without hesitation. He was even more confused by Zoë's hostile anger. "That's what best friends do for each other. I would do the same thing for you."

Zoë laughed humorlessly. "So she's your best friend now?!"

"Yes, she has been since we were children at the Centre. I thought you said you understood all of this."

"What I understand is that this isn't going to work anymore," Zoë said folding her arms across her chest. "I thought I would be happy here with you and your family, but I can't be second best, Jarod. Miss Parker is always going to come between us even when she's miles away."

Jarod didn't understand. She had been the one to bring Miss Parker up, but he didn't dare say so because he was tired of arguing. With the conflicting feelings he had been having lately, he thought it best if he just let Zoë go. He would be able to focus more on his family and finding his mother.

"I'll be leaving first thing in the morning," she said. She gave him a sad, watery smile before hurrying from the room.

**To be continued...**


	7. Reuniting

Okay, this is the part where the M rating comes into play. Whenever I write a love scene, I try to do it with taste and I hope you all can tell that. So, as always, thank you, reviewers! I appreciate you.

_**Part 7**_

_**Clearwater, Florida**_

Ethan walked along the private beach in the back of his and Miss Parker's condo. He wasn't used to living so high off the hog. At first, he thought they weren't being low profile enough, but she assured him that "_just because they were living on the run didn't mean that they had to start living in dank warehouses and dressing like bums._" He had smiled at the barb against Jarod, although, he didn't dress like a bum. Having stayed in several of Jarod's warehouses, he had to admit that he liked the beachside condo better.

He looked to up to see his sister pacing across the deck with her cell phone pressed up against her ear. He had been worried that the Centre would be able to track them with it when they first went on the run, but she assured him that Broots had rigged it so no one could. She had been working non stop with Broots and Sydney trying to find out where her baby brother was. She hadn't told Jarod about her plans yet, but he wished she would. The last time they had spoken with him had been weeks ago when they moved into the condo. He told them that things were going well on his end, but he could hear a difference in his brother's voice. Miss Parker noticed, too, but neither pressured him about it. He'd gotten a few leads on his mother and last they heard he was in Ohio checking them out.

Miss Parker hung up the phone and looked out at the beautiful view even though her mind was far from it. Broots had yet to find anything about her brother and it was starting to worry her. All sorts of scenarios ran through her mind about Raines torturing the boy like he had done so many other children in the past. Thinking about her untimely exit from the Centre made her mad. There were so many things she still needed to do that would have been best done while she was on the inside. Those plans were shot to hell and now things were even more difficult.

"Ethan, what do you want for dinner?" she called as he came in from the beach. Not many people knew of her culinary skills. Not many people knew about half of her skills. She could play the piano like no one's business, dance, paint, write, and speak a multitude of languages. People would be surprised at what she was capable of, but once again it was the Centre that held her back from doing what she wanted with her life.

"How about Chinese?" Ethan suggested. He was more than happy to sit back and enjoy his sister's cooking. It was the best he had eaten in years, which is why he didn't complain when he had to do the dishes.

"Chinese it is," she said strolling into the house. Soon the aroma of stir fried vegetables and seasoned meat drifted throughout the home.

Ethan was in the living room watching television when there was a knock at the door. He looked toward the kitchen to see Miss Parker coming out with her 9mm.

"You weren't expecting anyone were you?" He shook his head. Miss Parker answered the door with her gun hidden at her side only to find a weary looking pretender on the other side. "Jarod, what are you doing here?" she question heaving a sigh of relief. She quickly put the safety on the weapon. He was dressed in a pair of hunter green cargo shorts and a plain white t-shirt and he looked exhausted.

"Can I come in?"

She stepped aside and gave the street a glance over as she shut the door and locked it.

"Something sure smells delicious," he said smiling at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He dropped his bag by the couch and shook hands with Ethan.

"You're just in time for dinner," Ethan informed him. "Parker is making Chinese."

"I love Chinese food."

"Surprise, surprise," Miss Parker said as she walked into the kitchen trailed by the two men. The table was already set and the food was served. Jarod and Ethan had Cokes to drink, while Miss Parker enjoyed a glass of wine with her meal. She ate slowly and watched in horror as they wolfed down their food. "You boys are making me nauseous," she told them.

"Sorry," Jarod apologized around a mouth full. "I haven't had a decent meal in nearly two weeks."

"What's your excuse?" she asked Ethan. He just smiled and continued eating.

Once the dishes were done, the three moved into the living room where Jarod and Ethan immediately got engrossed in some cheesy movie. Miss Parker excused herself after about ten minutes and headed into her bathroom for a nice bubble bath. She wanted to ask Jarod what had brought him all this way, but she could tell he didn't want to talk about it. She would give him his space for now, but she was going to get an answer before the night was through.

Closing her eyes, she let the heat of the water relax her. She felt about as tired as Jarod looked. She was emotionally drained after having failed to locate her brother and she was running out of options. She didn't want to involve Jarod, but it was looking like she didn't have much of a choice if she wanted to free her brother.

After a good half an hour soak, she quickly lathered up her body and rinsed off. Wrapping a towel around her torso, she stepped into her room only to find Jarod asleep in her bed. He had kicked his shoes and socks off and was curled up with one of her pillows. Forgoing a bra, she grabbed a pair of panties, a silky, black nightie and changed quickly in the bathroom. Going back into the bedroom, she sat down gently on the edge of the bed and watched him sleep. Though she liked his jaw a little rough, he was in desperate need of a shave. Her hand reached out to lightly finger his longish hair and she sighed. She had missed him all these weeks more than she cared to admit. _Zoë had better be treating you right_, she said to herself. The silly woman didn't know what a good thing she had.

Turning out the lamp, the room was filled with darkness. Making sure to stay on her side of the bed, she slid underneath the covers and fell asleep.

-----

Jarod woke up to darkness and the sound of someone breathing heavily. His eyes adjusted and he realized that it was Miss Parker. She was sitting up in bed with her face buried in her hands.

"Parker, what's wrong?" he asked sitting up behind her. She didn't answer right away and he placed a hand on her back, rubbing softly to try and sooth her.

"Bad dream," she told him shortly. He watched as she ran her hands through her hair and quickly wiped her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked resting his chin on her bare shoulder.

"Not really. You'd think I'd be used to them by now."

"Let's lay back down," he commanded softly, tugging her with him. She faced away from him and he curled up behind her, his arm around her waist. "Was it about your mother?"

"They usually are," she said softly.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could take the pain of it away for you." He closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. "I missed you," he confessed.

Miss Parker smiled into the darkness. "Why aren't you at home?" she asked. He groaned and snuggled against her. She turned around in his embrace and looked him in the eye. "Did something happen?"

"Not really. I just needed to get away for a while," he said.

"What happened in Ohio?"

"Dead end. She was there, but no one could tell me anything about where she was headed."

"Sorry," she told him sincerely. "We're quite the pair." They lay in silence for a while before Jarod spoke up again.

"Why didn't you tell me you were trying to get your brother out of the Centre?" he asked.

She looked at him surprised. "Who told you that?"

"Sydney."

"I should have known," she said annoyed.

"Don't be mad. He was worried about you," he said defending the psychiatrist. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want to take you away from your family to get involved in yet _another_ of my screwed up family's problems," she sighed loudly. Sydney really had a big mouth.

"I'm going to help you," he yawned. "First thing in the morning."

"Zoë won't like that," she said fishing.

"It doesn't matter. Zoë and I aren't together anymore."

"Oh." That was a surprise. She snuggled a little closer, enjoying the feel of his body heat a little more, and closed her eyes. Zoë was a fool. "We'll talk more in the morning," she said, but he was already asleep.

-----

Later on, she awoke to a sensation on her cheek and opened her eyes to find Jarod leaning above her. "What time is it?" she asked huskily.

"A little past eight." He trailed his finger down her face. "I really missed you," he repeated from last night, smiling. Leaning in closer, he kissed her with all of the passion that had been building since the day she left his family's home.

Miss Parker didn't resist and quickly deepened the kiss, her lips parting beneath his. Jarod moved until he was practically lying on top of her and she welcomed the feel of his weight against her body. Her hands slid underneath his t-shirt and traveled up along the firm, sinewy muscles of his back. She continued pushing the soft, cotton fabric up until it was bunched under his arms and Jarod broke this kiss only long enough to remove the garment. Miss Parker pushed lightly against his hard chest but didn't break their kiss, urging Jarod to move until he was leaning on his hip. He slid his hand up her smooth leg, beneath her short nightie.

Miss Parker smiled as she felt his fingers teasing the silky band of her panties. "Was there something you wanted, Jarod?" she said mischievously in between kisses. His lips traveled down to her neck where he bit down lightly, eliciting a moan from the beautiful woman in his arms.

"I want you," he told her hungrily, "every single inch of you." She sat up fully and Jarod watched as she pulled the black dress over her head. The lust in his eyes was very apparent as he gazed at her perfect breasts, the brown nipples hardened with her arousal. He brushed his thumb across the firm bud before leaning in and taking it into his mouth. The moan that escaped her was nearly enough to do him in. Her fingers were in his hair trying to keep him in place, but he pulled back slowly, gently tugging the small bud with his lips. He watched as it glistened in the morning sunlight from the moisture of his tongue.

"Jarod, you're killing me," Miss Parker pleaded. In the back of her mind, she had always wondered what sex with Jarod would be like. Would he ask a thousand questions and ruin the mood or would he be so eager that it just had to be good? It was definitely the latter. Her eyes drifted closed as he moved on to give her other breast the same wonderful attention. He suckled hungrily and she thought she would melt. She had half a mind to push him on his back and have her way with him, but the pleasure he was pulling from her body was too good to be rushed. It would take all of her willpower, but she decided that she would let him do whatever he wanted.

Jarod slowly eased her down until she was lying flat on her back, her head propped against the pillows. His wet kisses trailed from her breasts down to her flat, soft stomach, to the edge of her panties. The tips of his fingers slid underneath and her hips rolled in anticipation. Jarod tugged the panties down and off, exposing the neatly trimmed patch of dark hair between her legs. He closed his eyes and inhaled the very essence of her.

Miss Parker was breathless as she watched him doing wonderful things between her legs. She couldn't stop her hips from moving as the sensation overwhelmed her, his wet, warm tongue against her slick and sensitive skin.

Jarod smiled as her thighs tightened around his head. Miss Parker tasted even better than he had imagined. He looked at her and he couldn't believe that he was making love to her. In the past, it seemed as if she would forever be off limits, but luckily things had changed. He held her as she reached her climax and slowly kissed along her thighs as she calmed down, paying special attention to the faint scar on her right thigh. He climbed back up her body, placing even more kisses as he went, and smiled at her adoringly.

Miss Parker smiled back lazily and pulled him closer. Her hands worked their way down to the tight bulge in his pants, eliciting a deep groan of pleasure. She unbuttoned them, releasing some of the pressure that was straining his arousal.

"Take these off," she whispered against his lips. Jarod complied quickly taking his underwear off with them and laid on his back when she guided down him with a hand on his chest. She gazed at his body appreciatively and took him firmly in her hand.

"Parker…" he groaned. She moved slowly down and he watched as she took him into her warm mouth. "Parker…" he whimpered again. She was doing incredible things with her tongue and if she didn't stop, he was going to… He opened his eyes as the sensation disappeared and she was smiling at him devilishly. She climbed back up his body and took his bottom lip between her teeth. He felt her guiding him inside of her and they both gasped at the feeling of his body filling hers. His hands moved to touch her as she began rocking her hips into his slowly. "You feel so good," he told her breathlessly, "so warm."

Miss Parker felt his fingers digging into the flesh at her hips. Her hands were busy massaging his chest and stomach, dusted with the perfect amount of hair, as she moved her hips a little faster. She smiled wickedly as she squeezed her inner muscles tightly around him. His hips surged upward pushing him deeper inside of her and she let out a moan of her own.

She moved faster and faster against him and he brought his fingers to where their bodies were joined to give her even further pleasure. "Jarod…" she moaned breathless. He felt her warmth contracting around him as she reached her climax for the second time and the feeling forced him to abandon any sort of control he had left. His body erupted inside of her and he caught her as she collapsed against him, their harsh breaths filling the room.

"Wow," Miss Parker breathed from her spot against his chest. She lifted her head to find Jarod grinning from ear to ear.

"That was amazing, Parker." It was her turn to smile. "I know I haven't had much experience," he explained, "but I never knew it could be so powerful."

Miss Parker kissed him deeply, slowly and resumed her spot on his chest. "I know what you mean, Pez head," she confessed.

"That was _much_ better than Pez," he said in all seriousness. Miss Parker couldn't control the laugh that bubbled from her throat.

**To be continued...**


	8. Searching

Thanks, people! Very happy to hear that are continually enjoying this.

Is anyone else not recieving their alerts from this site?

**Part 8**

Ethan was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal when a freshly showered and dressed Jarod and Miss Parker emerged from her bedroom.

"Morning, Ethan," they chimed together.

"Morning," he said looking at them suspiciously.

"Is that all you're going to have?" Jarod asked pointing to the Raisin Bran. He was starving after the mornings activities. "Why don't I whip us up some bacon and eggs?" Miss Parker put on a pot of coffee.

"Emily is going to be taking a job with the local paper," Jarod told them as he looked in the cabinets for a skillet.

"Good," Miss Parker said. "She ought to be able to lead some semblance of a normal life. Make mine scrambled, would you?" she said pointing to the carton of eggs.

Jarod smiled at her. "Whatever your heart desires," he told her dreamily. The smile widened as she rolled her eyes and sat down at the table to wait for the coffee to finish percolating.

"Jarod knows about our plans to help my brother," she informed Ethan who raised his eyebrows. "Sydney told him."

Jarod smiled from his position at the stove. He knew Miss Parker was still annoyed at Sydney and he knew the psychiatrist would be getting an earful. "Have you tried seeing if Angelo could help you?" he asked as he slid the pan full of fluffy, scrambled eggs into a bowl.

"Angelo hasn't been making very much sense these days. Sydney thinks Raines has been doing something to him."

"Raines is out of control," Ethan said. "He needs to be stopped."

Strips of bacon sizzled in the pan as they all sat thinking. "Maybe your brother has some type of code name…a project name and maybe that's why we can't find him."

"I'll let Broots know that he needs to modify his search then."

"How will we possibly know what code name to search for?" Ethan asked.

"We won't unless we find out what Raines has planned for him."

"This is beginning to seem like more and more of a dead end," Miss Parker said frustrated. "We don't have a clue as to where we need to start."

"Don't give up, Parker," Jarod said softly as he sat their breakfast on the table. "We just need to think a little harder, that's all. Between the five of us, we'll be able to come up with something."

-----

Later on, Jarod and Miss Parker were sitting side-by-side on the deck while Ethan walked along the beach. The call had been made to Sydney and Broots about baby Parker possibly having a project name and they promised to keep searching.

"When was the last time you actually saw your brother?" Jarod asked her as he played with her fingers. The nails were painted a deep maroon color and he twisted the square, silver ring on her index finger.

"I saw him when I got back from Carthis. I had been visiting him in his nursery when one day Raines came in looking at me suspiciously. For all we know, he's had him taken out of the Centre by now."

Jarod heard the sadness in her voice and kissed the back of her hand. "We'll find him, Parker. I won't give up until we do," he said trying to console her.

"If I was still there, I would be in the pits of that place looking for him right now," she said with conviction.

He knew how she felt, but he was still glad she wasn't their anymore.

"Why did Zoë leave?" she asked changing the subject. She had feeling, but she wanted to know the whole story.

Jarod sighed and buried his face into her thick hair. "She thought that you were coming between us," he told her honestly.

"Did she know about…"

"No. She was right though. It wasn't fair for me to be with her when I was falling for you."

"And are you sure this is what you want?" she asked tentatively.

He looked at her confused. "You have to ask?" She shrugged. "Wait here," he told her abruptly. "I have something for you."

She waited curiously as he went into the house and came back a few minutes later with something bulky wrapped in a cloth. He handed it to her and she unwrapped it to see that it was actually two different items. They were pictures of her and her mother from her home in Blue Cove.

"When did you get these?" she whispered as her fingers traced the silver frames.

"Just a short while after you and Ethan left. I know how much they mean to you, so I went back to see what I could get," he explained, pleased that she seemed happy with his gift.

"Jarod, that was stupid and dangerous. What if you had been caught? Surely, Raines has people watching the place," she chided.

"He does, but they didn't see me."

"How were things inside?"

"It doesn't look like anyone has been in there. Your fruit was rotten, but I threw it away and took out the trash for you," he smiled, "and I dusted for you."

Miss Parker looked at him. "You really are crazy," she said kissing him lightly. "Thank you." She leaned her head on his shoulder and continued studying the pictures he had rescued for her. One was of her and her mother holding hands, and the other was just of her mother smiling brightly.

"What's got you two so preoccupied?" came Ethan's voice as he returned from the beach. He took a seat on his sister's other side and looked at the pictures in her hands.

"It's our mother," Miss Parker told him, "and me when I was a little girl." She passed him the pictures and watched as he studied them.

"It's amazing," he said staring between the photo of his mother and Miss Parker. He wanted to comment on their resemblance, but he knew that always got on her nerves. "Is it strange to miss a woman I never even knew?" he asked giving the photos back.

"It's not strange," Jarod told him, knowing some of how he felt. He hadn't known his mother very long before he was taken away and he never stopped missing her. "Even though she was taken from you, you still had a connection to her, both of you," he said putting his arm around Miss Parker. "She passed on her gift to the two of you and you'll always be connected to her in that way, at least," he explained.

"Ethan, I want you to have this one," Miss Parker said handing him the one of just their mother. "You should have something to remember her by, too."

"Thank you, Parker. I do already have _someone_ to remember her by though," he smiled.

Miss Parker returned the smile and then ruffled his hair. "Alright," she said standing, "enough of this mush. I'm going to the store." She walked into the house leaving Ethan and Jarod sitting on the deck.

"So," Ethan began, "you two an item now?"

"An item?" Jarod repeated.

"Yeah, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Well, I haven't asked her to be my girlfriend officially…"

"You like her don't you?" Ethan wasn't blind; he could see the attraction between them.

"Yes, very much," Jarod replied seriously.

"A guy usually asks a girl to go steady when he likes her."

"Go steady?"

Ethan laughed at his brother's confusion. "If you don't ask her, someone else might steal her."

Jarod thought for a moment. "Maybe I'll go to the store with her," he said hurrying into the house.

-----

"What do you want for dinner tonight?" Miss Parker asked as she studied a bottle of wine. She prayed he didn't say fried chicken.

"Whatever you feel like cooking."

She turned around suspiciously to find him staring at her. He seemed nervous. "Look, if you want chicken just say so," she said putting the wine in the cart and moving on.

"Thursday is fried chicken night," he told her absently. He didn't know why he was so nervous. They had already made love, done wonderful, intimate things to each other's bodies. There was nothing left to be shy about.

"You go pick out some fruit and I'll be in the deli," she instructed.

Jarod watched her stroll away with the cart and took the opportunity to calm his nerves while he picked out some mangos and grapes. He joined her a few minutes later and stared while she read the label on a bottle of marinade. She was so gorgeous, perfect hair, perfect make-up, she smelled heavenly, and she was incredibly smart. So lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that she was now looking at him.

"Jarod, what's wrong with you?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked suddenly.

Her first reaction was to laugh at such a junior high question, but she remembered laughing at her first boyfriend when he told her she was the one. She wasn't going to make that mistake again. She smiled gently and turned to him fully. "What are you talking about?"

"Ethan and I were talking," he said taking her hand, "and he said that when a boy likes a girl, he usually asks her to go steady," he explained.

"Go steady?" she repeated. He nodded. "Next time Ethan gives you advice, make sure he uses dialect from this century," she smiled. They continued on and he trailed behind her.

"So will you?" he asked again once they reached the chip isle.

Miss Parker turned to look at him adoringly. He was still so innocent in many ways. If someone told her seven years ago that one day she would be grocery shopping with and listening to Jarod ask her to go steady, she would have pulled her 9mm on them. "Did you really think I'd say no after what we shared this morning?"

He shrugged.

She walked up to him and grabbed his chin in one hand. "Yes, I'll be your girlfriend. Now, pick out your chips so we can go."

Jarod smiled like an idiot, kissed her quickly and picked up three bags of Doritos.

-----

The trio had been together for several weeks now. Jarod had called his family to let them know where he was and Major Charles assured him that everything was fine on their end. Emily had started her new job and his dad and Jonathan spent their time bonding and trying to find Margaret. After getting over the disappointment of another dead end in Ohio, Jarod had resumed his search, too. No further information had been found concerning baby Parker and, unfortunately, there wasn't anything else for them to do. Broots and Sydney promised that they wouldn't give up.

Miss Parker found that she didn't enjoy being in hiding very much. Most days she was restless and to top it off, she had been without a cigarette for a week. She had tried munching on carrots, chewing gum, even Pez, but she found that the only thing that took her mind off the craving was when she and Jarod made love. He was only too happy to help her with her problem.

They were lying in bed one night, Miss Parker's head resting on Jarod's chest, when he spoke. "We should do a pretend together." Miss Parker looked at him as if he were crazy. "I'm serious. We would be unstoppable."

"Jarod, in case you've forgotten, I haven't been trained as a pretender."

"I could teach you," he said becoming more excited at the prospect. His fingers traced an indiscernible pattern along the smooth skin of her back. "It would be the first time I've ever had a partner on a pretend."

"If I did go along with this harebrained idea, what would we do?" she asked.

Jarod smiled knowing she was warming up to the idea. "We could do whatever we wanted. The sky is the limit. What's something you've always wanted to do, but was never able?"

"I've never really thought about it," she admitted. "I honestly never thought the opportunity would present itself." She laughed. "It's pathetic really. Here I am a grown woman and I have no idea what I want to do with my life." She shook her head. "What about you? If you could pick one career and stick with it, what would it be?"

"A medical doctor," he said without hesitation. "All I've ever wanted to do was help people, try and make difference somehow. So many of my early simulations were used for such terrible things, I figured maybe if I did everything in my power to help people that somehow it would make up for it all."

Miss Parker rubbed his chest soothingly as she listened to him. "You can't blame yourself for that, Jarod. The Centre used you and I know that if you knew what they were doing with your simulations you wouldn't have participated."

"You're right, I know, but…I still somehow feel responsible," he whispered.

She scooted up until she was facing him and planted a soothing kiss on his lips. "You are _not_ responsible," she whispered, "and I'll tell you that everyday if I have to."

Everyday. That sounded nice. He wondered how he got so lucky as to share his life with this amazing woman. She was the most remarkable person he'd ever met. _And she's my girlfriend_, he thought giddily. "Maybe we should both stop blaming ourselves," he said returning the kiss. He knew she still harbored some feeling of self resentment, but he didn't blame her for anything. He never did.

"Deal," she said, but they both knew that it wasn't that easy.

"I have a few more leads on my mother," he told her.

"Where?"

"A woman fitting her description has been sighted in Wisconsin."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. I want you to come with me."

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed sleepily. Jarod tightened his arm around her and dosed off.

-----

_**Kenosha, Wisconsin**_

"How do you know this person?" Miss Parker asked referring to the man who gave Jarod the lead on his mother. They rode along in the rented, silver sports car with Miss Parker at the wheel.

"I met him while I was on a pretend as a mailman. We became friends."

"And you trusted him enough to tell him about your mother?" She asked, simply trying to make sure they could believe the guy.

Jarod understood this and was pleased that he had someone to watch his back. There was no one else he'd rather. "I've actually told a lot of people about my mother, but they don't know the extent of it. When I'm spending time with these people, the good ones, I hear so much about their families and how important they are to them…I can here the adoration in their voices and it makes me want to talk about my family, too. I know it sounds corny, but it's different when you've never had any family before."

"It's not corny," Miss Parker told him keeping her eyes on the road. Because she understood exactly what he meant. After her mother left, it was just her and her father, but she knew what it was like to crave the love and support that only family could offer because her father never gave it to her. Once her mother was gone, any sort of affection ceased, except for the occasional hug and kiss from him to appease her momentarily. "I wish I had a family I was proud enough to brag about," she confessed.

"Well," Jarod said trying to lighten the mood, "you can brag about me all you want and I'm sure Ethan wouldn't mind." It got the desired smile from her. He looked out the window to see that they were approaching a little roadside motel. "This is the place," he sighed.

Miss Parker pulled into the small parking lot, rolled down her window and looked at the slightly run down, two-story building. Each door was painted mint green, with tacky golden numbers screwed into them. One door was propped open with a metal folding chair and a blaring television could be heard from inside. She prayed that the woman was on the other side of one of the doors as she looked over to see the apprehension on Jarod's face. He deserved a little happiness more than anyone and there was nothing that would make him happier than the sight of his long lost mother. "You ready?" she asked reaching over to touch his shoulder.

"As I'll ever be." They exited the car and made their way to room number seven.

Miss Parker found herself to be nervous for him. They approached the door and Jarod took a deep breath before knocking softly. A few moments passed with no answer before he knocked again.

"Maybe she's out," he said looking around behind them. There were plenty of eateries and stores within walking distance. He knocked again harder.

"You folks looking for somebody?"

They turned around to find an older man standing in front of the propped open door. "There was a woman here," Jarod began, "older, red hair…"

"Oh, yes, I remember her. She left early this morning."

Miss Parker saw his face fall at the news. "Did she say anything about where she was headed?"

"No, she was very quiet."

"Do you think we could look inside her room?" Jarod asked. "She's my mother." He showed the man the picture he had of her.

Luckily, the man was nice enough to let them, but unfortunately, they didn't find anything. The bed didn't even look as if it had been slept in. "She's good at this," Jarod said with a half hearted smile. They left the room and headed back to Clearwater.

**To be continued...**


	9. Secrets

Sorry about the delay, folks. I had to go out of town again and I wasn't able to update. As always, thank you, reviewers!

Does anyone remember the episode where Jarod was holding Catherine Parker's diary? As far as I remember, they never did anything with that.

_**Part 9**_

None of them had been in the best of moods lately. Jarod was down about missing his mother once again and Miss Parker was thinking about her baby brother. She could tell that Ethan was getting restless, too. He had a natural wanderlust and she knew he was suppressing it because he didn't want to leave her.

The sun had set hours ago and she was sitting on the deck trying not to think about how the fireflies looked liked the burning embers of a cigarette. She had a nicotine patch on her upper arm, but it wasn't working very well. She took a sip of her ice water and sighed. She didn't want to bother Jarod because he was working on his laptop.

The patio door slid open and out strolled Ethan. "Hey," he said taking a seat next to her. "What are you thinking about?"

She barked a laugh. "A cigarette the size of a flag pole."

Ethan laughed. "How old were you when you started smoking?" he asked.

Miss Parker twisted her lips wryly. "Well, I was seventeen when I took my first drag. I didn't _really_ start until I was eighteen though. I had been in Germany for college and it was the end of the semester. A few kids were throwing a party." She shrugged. "There was no one there to tell me no, no one I had to answer to." For most of her life there was no one to answer to. She remembered spending one summer with her father in France, but other than that, she was usually on her own.

"How many different countries have you been to?" Ethan asked curious.

"Nearly all of Europe, lots of Asia, Africa…all over the world really."

"Languages?"

"French, German, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Cambodian, a little Latin, Greek, Portuguese…English," she joked. Ethan smiled. "One thing I can thank Daddy for is a well rounded education."

Ethan was in awe of his sister's diversity and he had a feeling he hadn't even begun to break the surface of it. "I'd love to go to some of those places."

"Maybe one day you can," Miss Parker sighed looking at him. "Ethan, I know you're used to being on your own, too. It's perfectly okay if you feel like you need to take off."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I wouldn't want to be away if you needed me for some reason."

"Don't worry," she shrugged. "If I need you I'll call you. Besides, you should be out looking for some nice girl to settle down with," she teased. He smiled shyly. They both looked up at the sound of the patio door opening.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," Jarod said.

"Not at all," Ethan said. "Parker was just telling me about the range of languages she speaks."

Jarod smiled, already knowing quite well how versatile Miss Parker was.

"What are you smiling about?" she said, softly smacking his thigh as he walked by.

"Well, I'm going to bed. I'll see you two in the morning." Ethan excused himself leaving Jarod and Miss Parker alone.

"Are you okay?" she asked him. He reached for her hand, interlocking their fingers together.

"Fine." He snuggled down and rested his head on her shoulder. "You?"

Miss Parker sighed heavily. "Bored…restless…worried…you name it."

"Maybe I could go back to the Centre and see if I can find your brother."

"No."

"Parker…"

"Absolutely not, Jarod. He could be anywhere. It would be a suicide mission," she scolded.

Her grip tightened on his hand. He knew she was right, but he would do nearly anything to make her happy. "Come on," he said rising and pulling her with him. He kissed her lips softly. "Let's go to bed."

-----

"Have you thought anymore about what our pretend should be?" Jarod called from the bathroom. Miss Parker stepped out of the jeans she had been wearing and laid them across the foot of the bed.

"You know, I have actually. I've always been interested in writing," she confessed.

"That'd be wonderful for you," he called back.

"Why?" she huffed, placing her hands on her hips even though he couldn't see her. "Because I have so many bottled up emotions inside that writing would be a perfect out for them?"

Jarod smiled inside the bathroom as he brushed his teeth.

"That wouldn't make for a very exciting pretend anyway," she said, dismissing the idea. She walked over to the mirror and began brushing her hair. "Jarod, do you have anymore of those little red note books?"

"In my bag," he called, not thinking about why she wanted one.

Miss Parker sat her brush down and walked over to the black bag lying by the window. She unzipped it and dug through until she found a few of the books lying on the bottom. She noticed that one of them had writing on the cover. She picked it up realizing that it was very different from the other red books and her mouth dropped open in shock as she read what the shiny golden letters spelled out: _The Diary of Catherine Parker_.

"We could change it up a little," said Jarod, continuing to speak from the bathroom. "We could become writers for a newspaper. I hear those people can be pretty cutthroat." Finished with his nightly rituals, Jarod wiped his face on a towel and headed into the bedroom. He saw Miss Parker still hunched over his bag and he walked over to her. "Parker, what are you doing?" he asked. She stood up slowly and turned around to face him. His eyes dropped to the book in her hands and his face paled. "Parker…" he moved to touch her, but she recoiled.

"I see things really _haven't_ changed," she said, hating that she couldn't control the trembling in her voice.

"Parker, it's not what you think," Jarod said desperately.

"Then what the hell is it, Jarod, because it looks to me like you're still keeping secrets!" She clutched the precious book to her chest and moved to where she had tossed her jeans. She placed the diary on the bed and slipped the pants back on.

"Parker, please…"

"No!" she yelled. "You can't possibly say anything to me that would explain why you would keep this from me!" She gave a self depreciating laugh. "And to think that I was actually opening up to you."

Jarod's heart broke at the tears that poured from her eyes. "Parker…" He walked up to her and forced her into an embrace. She stood stiffly trying to push him away. "Parker, I love you! I would never intentionally hurt you," he said forcing her to look at him.

"Funny, every person who has ever claimed to love me has done nothing _but_ hurt me; it figures you would be no different. All these lies about you wanting to help me see the truth…" She finally pushed away from him and wiped at her face angrily. "Maybe Daddy was right all these years." She grabbed the diary and stormed out of the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" Jarod asked as he followed right behind her. He watched in horror as she slipped her shoes on and grabbed her purse and car keys. By this time, Ethan had come out of his room after hearing all of the commotion.

"What's going on?" he said alarmed. His sister's face was wet with tears and Jarod looked on the verge of crying himself.

"Ask your brother," Miss Parker said as she stalked to the front door. "Ask him about all the secrets he's kept about our mother." She slammed the door shut behind her and a few minutes later, the car could be heard screeching down the road.

"Jarod, what in the hell is going on?" Ethan demanded, worried for his sister.

Jarod stared at the door heartbroken. They had been closer than ever and it was all ruined by one secret, but a secret kept out of love. He had read Catherine Parker's diary in hopes of finding something about his past. The diary was a very sad account of some of the things that had happened in Catherine's life, sadness caused by the Centre, of course, and she made it clear that she didn't want her daughter to have to know of such terrible things. He had kept the diary from her in the hopes of sparing Miss Parker pain. , But now, he knew she would read it, and he knew that the words within would only serve to bring her more nightmares.

-----

Miss Parker drove around the city for nearly an hour before stopping at a restaurant. It was a twenty-four hour place and it was late so there weren't many people about. She grabbed the precious red diary from where it was sitting in the passenger seat and exited the car.

After being seated in a booth, she ordered a glass of water with lemon and declined when the young waitress offered her a menu. She was sure she looked a sight; eyes probably red from crying, hair probably mussed from running her hand through it. She couldn't believe the nerve of that man. How dare he hide something so important from her? She didn't have many weak spots, but her mother was definitely one of them and Jarod knew that. After everything they had shared, everything they had been through, she couldn't believe that he would do this to her and she found that it hurt more than anything her father or Raines had ever done to her. Jarod had always claimed to want her to see the truth and nothing else, but now, here he was lying to her just as they had.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the cover to the warn book. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes at the sight of her mother's elegant, cursive handwriting, but she held them at bay. She had cried enough on the hour drive to the restaurant, which was really only twenty minutes away from her home, and she was sick of it. She took a sip of her water and began reading.

-----

"It's what your mother wanted. I was only trying to spare her from more pain," Jarod explained as he and Ethan sat at the kitchen table. Miss Parker had been gone for nearly three hours and he was worried sick. He refused to leave until he had a chance to explain things to her. Maybe after she read her mother's diary, she would realize why he didn't want to give it to her.

Ethan saw the pain in Jarod's eyes and he knew that he had only done what he thought was best for Parker. "She has a hard time trusting," he said. He understood his brother's reasoning, but Miss Parker was a strong willed woman who had been kept in the dark for most of her life. It would take a while for her anger to diminish, but he was sure she would come around eventually.

"I realize now that I've loved Parker from the moment I first saw her when I was just a boy," Jarod said softly. "I'm not going to let her shut me out now. Not after everything we've been through…everything we've shared…"

"Good," Ethan said. "I'm beginning to realize that maybe what my sister needs is for someone to fight for her, someone to always be on her side. I'm glad to hear you aren't giving up on her."

Jarod just gave him a sad smile. He doubted he would ever find the kind of love he had for Miss Parker ever again and he didn't want to try. He wanted her and her alone and no matter how much she pushed or kicked or screamed, he would never give up on her.

-----

The restaurant was completely empty except for the workers and one lone woman. What Miss Parker had read in her mother's diary had shaken her badly. The deception she had endured because of Raines, only to find out that her husband had known about it all along, yet did nothing to stop it. In a way, she and her mother had been leading the same life only at different time periods and Raines and Mr. Parker were the common denominators.

Her mother had indeed been trying to rescue her from the Centre all those years ago. The woman was nothing more than an incubator for the Centre, pushing out little test subjects for them to experiment on. It turned out that they _had_ intended for her to become a pretender, but her mother wouldn't allow it. Her father had tried to convince the woman, but she fought tooth and nail. Mr. Parker gave in to his wife's wishes, but it was Mr. Raines who grew to hate Catherine Parker and the interference she caused with his evil plans. And he had begun punishing her by taking one of her babies, Lyle. The diary told of the threats and the beatings she had gotten from Raines, but her father never did anything about it. He put the Centre above his own family. But now she realized that maybe he just didn't care about her because she wasn't his real daughter anyway.

As revealing as the diary was, it still only served to raise a thousand more questions, questions she figured would probably never be answered. She wasn't ready to forgive Jarod either. After everything that had happened in the past several years, all of the buried secrets that had been dredged up, there was no excuse as to why he kept it from her. The diary was indeed painful to read, but there had been so much pain in her life already that a little more wouldn't make much difference. All she ever wanted in her life was the truth, something Jarod alone had always given her...until now.

Sighing heavily, she took one last drink of her water and stood from the booth. There was no way she was going back home tonight because she knew Jarod would still be there and she didn't want to talk to him. She would call Ethan's cell phone to let him know she was okay. As she made her way to the door, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Her breath caught and she placed her arm around her midsection. The pain dissipated fairly quickly and she took a deep breath. _Damn ulcer_, she thought. Her medication was at home, but she would just have to do without it for now. Getting into her car, she drove until she found a motel, called Ethan and turned in for the night.

-----

Ethan hung up his cell phone and turned to face an expectant Jarod.

"She says she's fine, but she won't tell me where she is."

Jarod sighed and hung his head. He knew she had read the diary by now, but it still hadn't made her see his side of things.

"She'll come around, brother. You just have to be patient with her."

He gave a short laugh. How ironic. Miss Parker was the most impatient woman he had ever met.

**To be continued...**


	10. Rescue

_**Part 10**_

It was her third night at the motel and she felt terrible. The stomach cramps had gotten worse, nausea had set in and she was beyond tired. She went out each night for her meals and she was forced to do a little shopping because she didn't want to go home yet. She had read and reread her mother's diary, her eyes greedily taking in the words to make sure she didn't miss anything, but nothing else stood out besides her mother's agony.

Sighing deeply, Miss Parker laid the book on the bed next to her and switched off the bedside lamp. She ignored her cell phone, which had nearly fifteen missed calls, all from Jarod. She wasn't as angry as she had been, but she just didn't feel like talking to anyone. At that moment, all she wanted was sleep and lots of it. Her eyes drifted shut and she immediately fell into a deep slumber.

_Suddenly, she was a little girl again, roaming the dark hallways of the Centre. She walked along slowly wondering where Jarod was. She hadn't seen him or Sydney all day. The hallway seemed to get darker and darker as she continued on, but she bravely kept forward. She came to a set of steps and counted as she walked down them. "…thirteen, fourteen, fifteen." _

_Eventually, the darkness faded and she came to a huge glass window. It looked like a nursery of some kind inside. There was a crib and a chair, but none of the bright or childlike colors and toys that usually adorned a child's nursery. The room was gray and cold. _

_Little Miss Parker felt a presence behind her and turned around to see that it was her mother. "Mama?" she said with wide eyes full of adoration._

"_Yes, baby," the beautiful woman smiled._

"_Mama, where are we?" she asked._

"_We're at the Centre. We're here to visit someone." She took her daughter's hand. _

_Miss Parker turned around to see that there was now a baby standing in the crib. He looked to be at least three years old with dark brown hair and wide blue eyes. Her mother led her into the room and they stood next to the crib. The baby smiled at her and reached out a hand to touch her face. Miss Parker returned the smile. "Who is he, Mama?"_

"_He's a very special little boy," Catherine told her. "He's a part of you."_

_Miss Parker turned around to look at her mother questioningly only to find that she wasn't there anymore. "Mama?" she called. _

"Mama!" Miss Parker sprang up in bed breathing hard. Grabbing her cell phone off the nightstand, she saw that it was nearly two in the morning. She flipped the device open and hit the speed dial.

"It's me. I know where they're keeping my brother."

-----

"_How can you be so sure, Miss Parker?_"

"Because, Broots, I had another premonition. He's on sublevel fifteen," she said as she paced around the small hotel room. She had called Broots last night and told him to make sure he was into work bright and early. She was positive that was where her brother was and she didn't want to waste anymore time. "Check it out and call me back as soon as you've found something," she ordered, snapping her phone shut.

All of her things from the past three days were packed up and she was headed home.

-----

When she entered the front door, she was glad to find that no one was there. She headed straight for the bedroom and began unpacking her things. Looking around, she noticed that Jarod's items were still scattered about. She didn't really expect that he would leave and honestly, she didn't want him to; she just wasn't ready to tell him that. She packed a new bag with fresh clothes and then headed into the bathroom for her ulcer medication. All she was waiting for was Broots' call.

Going back into the living room, she paused when she heard the front door opening and let out the breath she was holding when Ethan appeared.

"Parker, are you okay? Where have you been the last few days?"

"I'm fine, Ethan. I promise," she told him. "Where's Jarod?"

"He left yesterday. There was a new lead on his mother in Indiana," he explained. "He's been worried sick about you."

"Ethan, listen. I know where my brother is inside the Centre. I had a vision." She explained what she saw to him in detail.

"How do you know he's on sublevel fifteen?"

"I remember going down fifteen steps in the vision and specifically counting them. That has to be what it means."

"What are we going to do? How are we going to get him out?"

"I'm not sure yet. It depends on what Broots finds out," she said.

"Maybe we should call Jarod," Ethan suggested.

"No," Miss Parker said dismissing the idea immediately. "Jarod needs to focus on finding his mother. I don't want to get in the way of that. _I'll_ get my brother out of the Centre." Her phone rang. "What?"

"_Miss Parker, you were right. They're keeping Baby Parker on SL-15 in a pretty drab looking nursery. He has a nanny that checks on him periodically throughout the day and there are two cameras in his room_," Broots explained in a hurried whisper.

"Is he ever taken out of the Centre?" she asked.

"_Not according to any of the DSAs that I managed to find in Raines' office. The only way to get him out is to actually enter the Centre_."

Miss Parker sighed. "Listen, I'll be in Blue Cove by tonight. I need you to stay at the Centre until I contact you again."

"_Okay_," he agreed.

"Thanks, Broots." She snapped the phone closed and sighed. She would forever be grateful to him for all of the help he had given her over the years.

"I'm going with you," Ethan said pulling her from her thoughts. She stared at him for a long time before nodding.

"You have to promise me that you'll do everything I tell you," she said pointing at him. He nodded. She didn't want him to get hurt in this mess. "Come on then. We've got a plane to catch."

-----

_**Elkhart, Indiana**_

Jarod pulled up in front of the cozy bed and breakfast, quite a step up from the last motel he and Miss Parker had visited when searching for his mother. A woman fitting her description had once again been spotted.

Taking a deep breath, he exited the car and walked up the steps of the two-story building. Once inside, he was greeted by an older woman behind a counter.

"Welcome to the Elkhart Bed and Breakfast. Will you be checking in with us?" she greeted politely.

"Uh, no actually," Jarod smiled kindly. "I've been looking for someone and I was told I could find her here." He took the photo of his mother out and handed it to her. "This woman, she's my mother."

"Oh yes, Margaret has been staying with us for nearly a week now," said the trusting old lady. "Her room is right upstairs at the end of the hall."

Jarod was alarmed at how easily the woman gave him the information. If it had been anyone else, someone from the Centre, his mother's life would have been at stake. "Thank you," he told her all the same as he hurried to the staircase. He stood outside the door trying to calm down. He had dreamt of this moment for years, only to be disappointed time and time again. Forcing himself to relax, he knocked on the door lightly and listened as he heard someone moving around inside.

"Who is it?" came a soft, muffled voice. Jarod couldn't be sure if it was his mother's or not.

He wasn't quite sure what to tell her. If he said Jarod, she might think it was a Centre trick, but if he didn't answer her soon, she was sure to get spooked. "It's Jarod," he said, having no other choice. A few long moments passed before he could hear footsteps advancing toward the door and then another few uncertain moments before he heard the door unlocking and opening slowly. He looked at the widening crack in the door and his heart nearly beat out of his chest at the sight of his mother.

"Jarod, is it really you?" asked the older woman, tears glistening in her eyes.

Jarod nodded, too choked up to speak. She opened the door completely and reached out to take his hand. "Mom, it's okay now. You don't have to be afraid anymore," he finally managed. He stepped closer and she pulled him into a tight hug.

"Oh, my son, my beautiful, beautiful son," she cried. "I didn't think I would ever see you again." They hung onto one another for dear life.

-----

_**Blue Cove, Delaware **_

The four hour flight to Blue Cove seemed to take forever. Ethan could see Miss Parker from where he sat, but they weren't able to get seats next to each other. She didn't look too well. Her face was pale and she looked extra tired. Once, he had even seen her rushing to the bathroom, only to come back with a clammy looking face. Earlier she told him it was just her ulcer, but now he wasn't so sure. He just knew that he wasn't going to let her out of his sight.

Once they had finally landed, they rented a car from the airport and were on their way. "Still no word from Broots yet?" he asked.

"Not yet."

"Where are we going to go until then?"

"We need to get some things from the store first. There's a park not far from the Centre. After we're done, we'll stop there and lay low for a while," she told him.

"Parker, are you sure we should do this tonight? Maybe we should wait a few days until we have a better plan."

Miss Parker sighed. "Look, Ethan, I know you're worried. Hell, so am I, but something inside is telling me that we have to get him out tonight," she said. "We have no idea what Raines has been doing to him and I don't plan on letting him have anymore time to do it."

Ethan nodded. He had spent enough time around his sister to know that once she had made up her mind that was it. He stared out the window as the scenery sped by.

Miss Parker looked at her brother and noticed the bright smile spreading across his face. "What are you smiling at?"

"It's Jarod…he's found his mother." Miss Parker raised her brow in shock. "The voices told me. I can feel his happiness," Ethan said continuing to smile.

Miss Parker was happy for him, too, but her worry for her baby brother was overshadowing it.

-----

_**Lancaster, South Carolina**_

Jarod stood on the porch looking out into the dark backyard. His family had gone to bed, everyone tired after an emotional reunion with Margaret. He never thought this day would come, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure the Centre never found them. He was a hair's breadth away from having everything he wanted in his life. Now, all he had to do was get his girlfriend to stop being mad at him. He still couldn't help the grin when he referred to Miss Parker as his girlfriend. The night she found the diary in his bag was still a sore spot; the hurt that had been in her eyes, the tears. As hurt as she had been, she hadn't thrown him out or told him it was over and he wasn't going anywhere until she told him to and maybe not even then. He had lost track of the number of messages he'd left on her cell phone and as much as he was itching to call her right then, he decided it would be best to give her space. It had been almost a week though.

Just as he'd flipped open his phone to dial Ethan and see if she had returned home at least, it rang. It was Sydney.

"Sydney, what is it?" Jarod asked worried. Sydney knew only to call when it was absolutely necessary.

"_Jarod, have you spoken to Miss Parker_?" came the psychiatrist's distinguished voice.

"It's been a few days actually." He wasn't sure whether or not Sydney knew about his and Miss Parker's relationship. He knew they had resumed their friendship, but that was as much as he had told him. "Is something wrong?"

"_Miss Parker has figured out where her brother is_," Sydney informed.

"How?"

"_She had another premonition and she told Broots about it. He's helping her set up a plan to rescue her brother_."

Jarod's heart began pounding for the second time that day. "Why wouldn't she tell me about this?" Saving her brother was far too important to let their argument get in the way of it.

"_I don't know, Jarod. She's here in Blue Cove now. I've made Broots promise to keep me informed_."

"I have to go, Sydney. I need to try getting into contact with her."

"_Good luck, Jarod_," the psychiatrist said just before the line disconnected.

Jarod hit the speed dial for Ethan's cell.

"_Jarod_."

"Ethan, are you with Parker?"

"_Yes, but_…"

"Let me talk to her."

"_Jarod, it's too late…she's already gone in_."

"Damn it!" the pretender cursed. "Listen, when she gets out with her brother, I want you to go to this address." He gave Ethan the location. "Don't let Parker talk you out of it. You'll all be safe there until we can make further arrangements. I'm leaving right now and I'll meet you there." He hung up the phone, not giving Ethan the chance to say goodbye.

Heading into the house and up the stairs, he knocked softly on his parent's bedroom door and waited for the okay to enter.

"Son, what is it?" his father asked concerned.

"Mom, Dad, I have to leave. I need to go and help Parker. She's found her brother and is rescuing him from the Centre as we speak."

"Parker?" his mother questioned. "Catherine's daughter? The woman who's been chasing you?"

Jarod sighed. He understood his mother's concerns, but he was tired of having to explain his and Miss Parker's relationship. "Mom, it's a long story," he said kissing her cheek. "I have to hurry though. I'll call you all soon."

Charles and Margaret watched as their son raced from the room. "How can he have anything to do with that woman? Aside from Catherine, I've never met a Parker who was any good," Margaret commented shaking her head.

Charles wondered how he was going to explain to his wife that their son was in love with a Parker.

-----

Miss Parker moved quickly through the dark forest on her way to the vent Broots had directed her to enter through. Her ulcer chose that moment to flare up and she nearly lost her balance from the bought of nausea.

"Please, not now," she whispered holding her stomach and leaning against a tree for support. She had to keep moving. Her brother needed her and she would die before she let him stay in that hell for another day. Finally breaking through the trees, she spotted the vent a few yards away and made a dash for it. The grate was easy enough to remove, but the smell coming from it didn't help her nausea any. "Just great, Broots. You couldn't have found a way other than the sewers," she grumbled to herself. She looked at her watch and then shimmied down into the hole. She wasn't able to contact Broots directly anymore, so she had to make sure and be at each checkpoint within five minutes.

After a short trek through the sewers, she came to an airtight, steel door. It was locked when she tried it and she assumed she must have arrived early. After a few more seconds, it finally opened and she hurried through it. Broots could only keep the door unlocked for fifteen seconds before an alarm sounded. Next, she had to make it past two cameras and to the air duct at the end of the hallway. She waited until the red lights on the camera went out and made her move. After traversing the warm vents, she came to the opening Broots had mapped out and pushed aside yet another grate. The rectangle plate on the wall read SL-15 and she wiped away the sweat that had formed on her brow.

She and Ethan had sat in the parked car for hours before the plan got underway. She decided that it would be best to wait until later that night when most of the Centre employees were gone home, minimizing the risk of being caught, and she was glad she did. The red lights went out on the cameras and she hurried down the hallway, much like the one in her premonition, only this didn't have any stairs. She continued to move stealthily until she came to a room with a large window. She stopped near the edge and peered around for the cameras. The lights went off and she thanked heaven for Broots. A tiny click indicated that the door was unlocked and she entered quietly.

The room was as drab as it had been in her vision. She moved to the crib, more like a cage, in the corner of the room and looked inside. Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked at her baby brother inside sleeping peacefully. She reached a hand over the top of the bars and gently rubbed his chest.

"Wake up, sweetheart," she cooed softly. The little boy's eyes drifted open after a few seconds and he smiled at her. "Hello," she said softly. He pushed the blankets off his body and stood up to face her.

"Hi," he waved.

Miss Parker looked at her watch. They only had a few minutes. "Do you remember me?" she asked. He nodded.

"Miss Parker…my sister."

"That's right," she smiled. "How would you like to go for a little trip?"

"Okay," he nodded. She lifted him out of the crib and sat him on the floor. She looked around to make sure there was nothing she was forgetting, but she figured she had made enough purchases earlier to replace anything he would need. She picked him up again and moved to the door, looking around one last time when she spotted a clipboard attached to a cubby at the end of his crib. Quickly grabbing it, she yanked the door open and rushed past the large window just as the cameras flashed back on.

-----

Ethan sat nervously in the driver's seat. Miss Parker only had a total of forty minutes to get in and out and she told him not to wait around if she took any longer than fifty, but there was no way he would leave her. It was approaching the thirty-five minute mark and he started the car, making sure to keep the headlights off. His fingers drummed impatiently on the steering wheel and his eyes were focused on the tree line.

"Come on, Parker," he whispered. A few seconds later, his mind was assaulted with the voices. He squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed his head.

_She needs your help. _

_Go to her. _

_Hurry._

Looking around quickly, he exited the car and took off through the trees the way his sister had gone. After a minute or two of running, he stopped at the tree line and looked around frantically. He spotted her replacing the grate on the sewer vent while the little boy stood by.

"Parker," he yelled in a hushed voice. She looked up and waved him over.

"Take him," she panted as she finished replacing the cover. Ethan scooped the boy up and they took off for the trees. "Hurry," she said as they approached the car a few minutes later. She took her brother from Ethan's arms and slid into the back where a child seat was already set up.

Ethan put the car in drive and steered them out of the park toward safety. "Parker, are you alright? Is he?" he asked concerned.

"We're both fine," she reassured him. She looked at her baby brother who was looking at her calmly. He didn't seem the least bit bothered by all of the commotion. She smiled at him lightly and ran a hand through his short, brown hair. Her nausea had turned into dizziness while they were in the sewers and she was forced to stop, wasting precious minutes while she gained her senses back. She wasn't sure she could have made it to the car with him if Ethan hadn't shown up.

"Jarod isn't very happy with us right now," Ethan informed her. "He gave me an address for some place in Maryland. He thinks we should get off the streets."

Miss Parker was in no mood to argue. She felt awful. She kept her eyes on her brother as he fell asleep and eventually drifted off herself.

Nearly an hour and a half passed in silence and Ethan was surprised to find that his sister had gone to sleep. He figured she would have been on high alert until she was certain they got away safely. As he watched them sleep through the rearview mirror, he noticed how much they looked alike. He knew she had suspicions about whether he was really her father and Brigitte's child, but she wasn't her father's real daughter either. Why would his baby come out looking so much like her? His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

"Hello?"

"_Ethan, its Jarod. Is everything alright? Have you made it to the cabin yet_?"

"Not yet, but we should be their soon," he answered.

"_Did Parker get her brother out okay_?"

"She got him out safely. I'm not even sure if anyone from the Centre knows it yet. We haven't been followed."

"_Good_," Jarod sighed relieved. "_I need to talk to Parker_."

"She's sleeping."

"_Sleeping?_" Jarod questioned. How could she sleep at a time like this?

"Yes, they both are. I don't think she's been feeling very well lately."

"_Alright, I'll see you later then_," Jarod said rather dejectedly.

"Wait, how are we supposed to get in?" Ethan asked.

"_Miss Parker knows how to pick a lock_."


	11. Baby Parker

Glad to hear everyone is still enjoying this. I'm having fun writing it.

_**Part 11**_

_**Salisbury, Maryland**_

She jerked awake at the feel of something moving next to her and strained to see that it was her little brother.

Oh, yeah.

Now she remembered. She dropped her head back down to the pillow and placed a protective arm around his body.

The threesome had arrived at the cabin, tucked deep into the woods, at nearly one in the morning. She remembered groggily picking the lock to the front door, while Ethan stood by with the sleeping little boy. She had barely even said goodnight before she took the child, found one of the bedrooms and passed out again. It wasn't like her to be so dead tired.

Her eyes having adjusted to the darkness, she looked at the small figure lying next to her. She needed to give him a name. Her fingers reached up to brush his hair as she thought on it.

"I hear you haven't been feeling well," came the deep voice from across the room. Miss Parker's first reaction was to grab her 9mm at her back, but she realized she didn't have it at the same time she realized it was Jarod's voice that she heard. She heaved a sigh and turned to see where he was.

"I would appreciate it if in the future you would try not to scare the hell out of me by sneaking around in the dark," she snapped.

Jarod frowned even thought she couldn't see it. "Sorry."

"What time is it?" she asked, making sure to keep her voice low. She heard him move closer and felt the bed behind her dip under his weight.

"Almost five," he said softly. He looked over her shoulder to the little boy sleeping peacefully and smiled. "I'm glad you made it safely."

"Didn't you think I was capable?" she asked with no emotion one way or the other.

"More than capable," he responded, and he meant it, too, but he would always choose to put himself in danger before her…for her. Taking a chance, he lay down on the bed beside her and wrapped an arm around her, thrilled when she didn't push him away. He breathed in the fresh scent of her hair and sighed. "Please, don't hate me."

Miss Parker closed her eyes at the pleading in his voice. "I don't hate you, Jarod," she whispered back. "I'm just pissed at you."

"Okay." He smiled secretly and molded his body closer to her. Pissed off he could handle.

"Jarod?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't you _ever_ keep something like that from me again," she scolded. "I don't care how much you think you're protecting me. The truth may not always be pretty, but I'd take it over a lie any day."

"I promise." He tightened his hold on her, happy when her hand came to rest on top of his. They lay together quietly, Jarod simply glad to be in her good graces again.

"Jarod?"

"Hmm?"

"I was thinking of naming him Matthew."

"Matthew," he said testing the name on his lips. "I like it."

"There was a file I grabbed from his room," she told him, barely able to keep her eyes open any longer.

"We'll look at it first thing in the morning. Right now I think we could use a little more rest."

Miss Parker let her mind drift as she fell asleep. She was glad Jarod was with her again. As angry as she had been, she had been lonely, too. She would need him more than ever now that she had Matthew to take care of. Debbie was the only child she had ever spent any real time with, but, at the end of the day, she was still Broots' responsibility. Now, Matthew would be hers.

-----

Later that morning, Miss Parker awoke to the feel of something tugging her hair lightly. Opening her eyes, she saw Matthew lying next to her, wide awake. His small hands were rubbing her hair that rested on the pillow and he smiled when he noticed her staring.

"Morning," she told him softly.

"Morning," he repeated.

"You hungry?" she asked. He nodded yes enthusiastically and sat up. She and Jarod hadn't changed positions at all during the night and she could feel his arm still loosely around her. Looking at her wrist watch, she saw that it was just past eight. She gently removed Jarod's arm and eased out of bed.

As they walked to the bedroom door, she felt his small hand slide into hers. Despite the fact that it was summertime, the cabin was still a bit chilly. She looked down at his bare feet and shut the bedroom door behind them quietly. "Are your feet cold?" she asked him.

"Yes," he nodded. She led him into the living room, where Ethan had been kind enough to place the shopping bags which were full of stuff for a three year old. She rifled through until she found a pack of socks and tore them open.

After the socks had been placed on his feet, they moved into the kitchen where Miss Parker searched through the cupboards and the refrigerator for something to eat.

"Damn it, we don't have any food," she cursed. She turned around to face the patient child. "You think you can hold on for a little longer?" He nodded.

They went back into the living room and she sat down on the couch, pulling him with her. "Do you have a name?" she asked. Since she hadn't actually read the file yet, it occurred to her that he just might already have one.

He nodded.

"What is it?"

"Fusion," he said.

"Fusion?" she questioned confused.

"Fusion," came Jarod's deep voice from behind. She whipped around to look at him, seeing that he had the file in his hand. "…as in _Project_ Fusion."

-----

"How much did you read?" Miss Parker asked.

Everyone was awake now and Ethan had offered to go and get something for everyone to eat. Miss Parker and Jarod sat on the couch while Matthew played quietly in the corner with a truck and some other toys she had bought for him. She watched him carefully, noticing that he seemed to be at a loss at what to do with some of the items. Now that she though back on it, she hadn't seen one toy in his room at the Centre either. It was becoming more and more obvious that the boy was indeed special and she was ready to find out just how special he really was.

"Not much. Just the cover," he said. The gray file was sitting in his lap. "You ready?" he asked looking at her.

"As I'll ever be," she said. She took the file from him and read the title on the front: _Project Fusion_. In her rush to escape the Centre with him, she hadn't even bothered taking the time to read the cover of it. She opened the flap slowly to reveal a list of stats.

_**Name**__: Project Fusion_

_**D.O.B**__.: 5/14/01_

_**Eye Color**__: Blue_

_**Hair Color**__: Dark Brown_

_**Talents**__: Pretending, Prophesy _

_Subject has tested positive for the Pretender Gene and displays signs of highly advanced intelligence. Subject also possesses the gift of prophesy and has been observed predicting events before they occur. Subject will continue to participate in simulations and brain exercises._

"The gift of prophesy?" Jarod questioned. "Like you and Ethan," he observed. Miss Parker nodded slowly, deep in thought. "We should call Broots and Sydney later. Now that we know what his project name is, we can expand our search for more information."

"What simulations could they possibly run on a three year old?" Miss Parker asked. She flipped the page of the file, but there was nothing else.

"Probably things like recreating famous buildings with blocks or solving complex math problems," Jarod told her, recalling his own experiences.

"Well, that's going to change. No more simulations, no more being isolated. He'll be as normal as possible." She tossed the file onto the coffee table and leaned back into the couch. Her stomach was upset.

"We won't be able to hide his gifts," Jarod said gently. "As soon as he's enrolled into any kind of normal school, people will notice."

"Then we won't enroll him into school. I'll home school him if I have to, but there is no way the Centre is going to get their hands on him again," she vowed. She looked over to see that her brother had stopped playing with his toys and was now focused on them. "Come here," she said patting the couch beside her. Scrambling up from the floor, he immediately went to her side. "How would you like a new name?" she asked.

"Why?" the boy questioned. "Mr. Raines always calls me Fusion." It was the most he had said since she rescued him and he spoke eerily fluently for a child of three.

Jarod watched Miss Parker's reaction. If she was surprised at the boy's intelligence, she didn't show it.

Even though she had read the file explaining his intellect, she was still surprised, but she hid it well. She wished the boy had never even met Raines. "Fusion was more of a nickname. How about if I call you Matthew from now on? Would that be ok?" she asked. He didn't answer her right away, seemingly thinking on it.

"Okay," he finally nodded. "Who are you?" he asked the pretender.

"My name is Jarod," he smiled. He held out his hand and Matthew shook it.

All three of them looked to the door when they heard the knob turning and Ethan came in with bags of delicious smelling food.

"What's your name?" Matthew said as he walked over to him.

"I'm Ethan," he told him. "Are you hungry?" He smiled when the boy nodded his head enthusiastically. "Well, I hope everyone likes McDonald's breakfast," Ethan said moving into the kitchen trailed by Matthew.

"McDonald's…I've heard of it, but I've never been to one," Jarod said curious.

Miss Parker rolled her eyes, knowing that McDonald's was soon to become his newest obsession. She joined the rest of them in the kitchen for a mediocre cup of coffee and a hash brown. Nothing else looked appealing and her stomach hurt anyway.

"Aren't you hungry, Parker?" Ethan asked as he looked at her untouched breakfast burrito.

"Not for this hogwash," she said tartly, pushing it toward him. He smiled at her description of the fast food, knowing she was used to the finer things in life.

"I like it," chimed Matthew with a mouthful.

"Me too," agreed Jarod. "It's very good."

"Great," Miss Parker said sarcastically, "now I'm surrounded by three animals." Jarod and Ethan laughed, joined by Matthew who had no idea what he was laughing at. "I'll leave you boys to your troughs," she said standing. She made her way into the bathroom to freshen up.

Once the door was shut behind her, she leaned against it heavily and closed her eyes. The nausea had returned and she felt faint. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead and she was forced to sit down on the toilet lid. After a few minutes of trying to will the feeling away, she heard a soft knock on the door.

"What?"

"It's me. Can I come in?" came Jarod's voice.

"Sure, why not?" Miss Parker said sarcastically. She stayed seated with her eyes closed and listened as the door crept open and then shut again. Her nose was assaulted with his scent, a scent she had come to associate with comfort. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, kneeling down in front of her.

Miss Parker sighed. "Oh, I'm alright. Just tired," she said softly as she rested her forehead against his.

He smoothed his hands across the tops of her thighs. "We should be leaving soon." He knew she was worse off than she was letting on, her face was pale and he could see the sweat on her face. "I need to go back to my family for a while," he said.

"I understand. You haven't even had a proper reunion with your mother."

"You know about her?" he asked surprised.

"The voices told Ethan. Apparently, you were emitting like crazy." She ran her thumb across his stubbly chin. "Don't look so surprised. Believe it or not, you and Ethan have a strong connection, too."

"I want you, Ethan and Matthew to come with me."

Now, it was Miss Parker's turn to be shocked. "Jarod, I don't know. Having to stay with the rest of your family was one thing, but your mother? That's a disaster waiting to happen," she laughed mirthlessly.

"Parker, you and Matthew are a permanent part of my life now. You'll have to face her eventually." He looked at the continued skepticism written all over her face. "Listen," he said taking her hands, "I meant what I said before…I love you. A part of me always has…ever since we were children at the Centre. Maybe it won't be a perfect relationship between you and my family, but I'm not going to let them go…and I won't let you go either." He watched as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Fine, I'll go." He gave her a huge grin and kissed her lips.

"I love you," he told her again. She didn't say anything and he got up to give her some privacy.

"Jarod?" she called as he reached for the doorknob. Oh, god, she was really going to say it. "I love you, too." He smiled and came back for another longer, deeper kiss.

**To be continued...**


	12. Meetings

Sorry for the delay, everyone. I am out of town again and my internet access was limited for a while, but now that situation is resolved. This chapter is a little short only because it made sense for me to break the story here. Thank you for being patient and thanks for the reviews. I still appreciate them.

_**Part 12**_

_**Lancaster, South Carolina**_

_Oh, god, what's wrong with me_, Miss Parker thought silently as they drove slowly up the long drive to the family's home. She looked over at Jarod and he was grinning like an idiot. _I'm getting soft_. He directed his smile toward her and she returned it briefly. She was hoping she wouldn't have to come back to this place for a long time, but here she was all because she had fallen for the pretender. But she also came back for Matthew's sake. Jarod's family was good and honest and she wanted him to know that there were other people who would love him as much as she did.

As they approached, Major Charles could be seen waving at them from the front porch. Miss Parker groaned inwardly when she saw Margaret join him. She didn't look as friendly as the Major did. The woman had been through hell because of the Centre and the Parkers and Miss Parker couldn't blame her one bit for being resentful.

Jarod brought the car to a halt, got out and made his way to the backseat where Matthew was buckled in. Miss Parker took one last deep breath before exiting the passenger side. Ethan gave her a sympathetic smile. He had his own reasons for being nervous. How was Margaret going to react when she found out that the Centre had used her husband's sperm and Catherine Parker's eggs to make him?

Miss Parker watched as Matthew giggled at something Jarod said. They had developed a special bond in the short time they had known each other. The Pretender held his hand out for her as she joined them on the other side of the car and she took it, squeezing it tightly.

"Remember that I love you," he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, nervously looking toward the porch. Jarod smiled and tugged her along with Ethan trailing them

"It's good to see you all again," Major Charles said by way of greeting. He gave each of them a hug. "And who might you be, young man?" he said referring to the little boy in Jarod's arms.

"My name is Matthew," he stated, offering the older man his hand.

Jarod gave his mother a long hug. He knew that she had a thousand questions. "Mom, this is Miss Parker, Matthew and Ethan," Jarod introduced. Polite nods were exchanged, but not much else was said. Major Charles ushered the group inside and offered everyone something to drink.

"Your father told me that you loved fried chicken, Jarod. I've just finished frying up a large batch," Margaret said, pleased with the smile that lit up her son's face.

Miss Parker scowled as Jarod glanced at her.

"You stay here," Jarod said sitting Matthew down. "I'm going to go and get the bags from the car." The little boy walked over to Miss Parker and took her hand.

"I'll give you a hand, son," the Major said, leaving Margaret, Miss Parker, Matthew, and Ethan alone in an awkward silence. Margaret was the first to finally break it.

"So, Charles tells me that you quit working for that place."

Miss Parker gave a short, humorless laugh. "Well, that's one way of putting it. They're still having a problem accepting my resignation."

Just then, Jonathan came in from the backdoor. "Miss Parker," he called excitedly as he rushed over to give her and Ethan a hug. Margaret looked on puzzled. Why was everyone happy to see the person who had been such a pest in their lives? She looked over at Ethan who was staring at her curiously. Her husband had told her what the Centre did and she was shocked to say the least though she probably shouldn't have been. She wasn't sure what to say to him and turned her attention back to Miss Parker, hearing the last bit of her conversation with Jonathan.

"He's a pretender just like you and Jarod," she said referring to Matthew, "and he has the voices…"

"Just like you and Ethan," Jonathan finished. He and Miss Parker turned when they heard the gasp from Margaret.

"Then it's true…" she whispered pale faced.

"Then what's true?" came Jarod's voice from the doorway.

"If you can hear the voices then the scrolls must be true," she said.

"What? What about the scrolls?" Miss Parker demanded. Jarod was now at her side, wanting the answers just as badly.

Margaret looked pointedly at Miss Parker. "You're the Seeress."

"What's a seeress?" asked the Major.

"It's a woman who prophecies future events," Jonathan explained.

"So you've seen the scrolls?" Miss Parker asked.

"Catherine and I…we've been to the island before, years ago…I can't believe it." She moved wearily over to the couch and took a seat.

Everyone watched her expectantly, Miss Parker, impatiently. She and Jarod had been searching for answers for years only to come up short and now this woman was probably their last chance at getting them. She had to force herself to calm down.

"Mom," Jarod said gently. He sat down next to her and took her hand. "What else did the scrolls say?"

"Catherine and I never actually saw the scrolls," she informed, disappointing Jarod and Miss Parker. "We only heard things. Things like the Chosen and Seeress. I don't know the details, but somehow you two are the future of the Centre."

-----

"Are you okay?"

Miss Parker looked up from her where she rested on the hammock. "Peachy," she said softly with none of her usual vigor.

"I noticed you didn't eat much dinner. I made you something if you get hungry later," Jarod said. He eyed the hammock. It was a big hammock. He had put it up himself. "Mind of I join you?" he asked.

Miss Parker gave him a faint smile and scooted. Jarod grinned and eased onto the canvas material, pleased when she snuggled into him. "I'm so tired, Jarod," she said softly. "Tired of being a puppet in whatever game the Centre is playing. Those scrolls are over a hundred years old and if what your mother said is true then our lives have been mapped out for us since before we were even born, since before our parents were even born."

"I know," he said simply. He looked up at the twinkling stars which were beginning to dot the sky, wishing that the Centre had never existed.

"Did Emily get here yet?" she asked of his sister. Her cheek rested on his chest and she inhaled the light scent of his cologne.

"Not yet, but she called to say that she would be late." He rubbed her bare shoulder. "I checked on Matt before I came out. He's still fast asleep."

"He should be after the way Jonathan wore him out playing," she smiled.

"And don't forget all of the food my mother fed him," Jarod laughed.

"Who knew a three year old could eat so much?"

They lay together quietly for a while until Jarod jerked up to slap at his leg. "Sorry," he told Miss Parker. "Mosquito."

"Well, we may as well go in. It's getting late," she said rolling out of his embrace and off of the hammock. She gave Jarod a hand up and they walked back to the house.

Ethan and Jonathan were in the living room watching a movie and Charles and Margaret had gone to bed. Miss Parker dashed upstairs to check on Matthew while Jarod went into the kitchen to warm up her meal. When she came back downstairs, she was pleasantly surprised to see a steaming plate of seasoned rice and salmon and her stomach seemed to growl in anticipation. It was the most appetite she'd had in days.

"You're mother is going to think that I don't like her cooking," she said before taking a bite of the flaky fish. It was seasoned perfectly.

"I think you two got off to a good start," he said as he stood to get her something to drink.

"We've barely said two words to each other," she said dubiously. They had been too stunned by what she had told them to be concerned about anything else.

"I don't think she thinks you're as evil as you think she does," Jarod smiled as he came back to the table with two glasses of iced tea.

Miss Parker shrugged and continued with her meal. She lifted her fork to offer Jarod a bite and he opened his mouth so she could feed him. He watched her adoringly with his chin resting in his hand as she continued to eat.

"What are you lookin' at, wonder boy?" she asked without looking up.

"You," he said. "You love me," he smirked.

She stopped eating and slowly looked up at him. His smirk was rather sexy when it wasn't being directed at her in some sneaky way. "Did I tell you that?" she asked playing dumb. She picked up her sweating glass of iced tea and took a long drink.

"Yup," he said.

"Funny. I remember saying no such thing," she shrugged. She pushed her plate away and leaned back in her chair.

Jarod scooted his chair closer to hers and leaned in. "Maybe I should remind you," he suggested. Another shrug. Placing his index finger under her chin he pulled her into a soft kiss.

"Still nothin'," she smiled against his lips. She moaned when he took the opportunity to tease her with his tongue. The kiss quickly deepened and only stopped when someone cleared their throat.

Jarod turned to find Emily standing in the doorway and he smiled sheepishly. "Hi, Sis."

**To be continued...**


	13. Plus or Minus

_**Part 13**_

Miss Parker was up bright and early the next morning and off to do some shopping once again. Except for Jarod, the rest of the house was still asleep and he agreed to stay behind and lookout for Matt. They both agreed that it would be better for the little boy to stay out of sight for a while. She and Jarod were forced to control their yearnings last night due to the fact that they had to share a room with him.

Never had she shopped so much, but never had she had to move around so much at a moments notice either. As she walked through the pharmacy section of the local grocery store, she picked up a bottle of the pink stuff and tossed it into the cart along with a Spiderman toothbrush for Matt. She continued looking through the isles and stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed the pregnancy tests. The nausea, the vomiting, the loss of appetite, the fatigue, all symptoms of a stomach ulcer. She picked up one of the rectangle boxes and read the back intently.

Also symptoms of pregnancy.

Her heart was racing, but she knew she shouldn't be surprised. She and Jarod hadn't exactly been the most responsible when it came to using precautions.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_, she thought to herself. How could they have been so careless? Her cell phone rang and she jumped. Pulling it hastily from where it was located at the small of her back, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly before flipping the device open. "What?" she snapped irritated.

"_Miss Parker_?"

"Broots," she breathed, closing her eyes.

"_Miss Parker, it's like a nut house around here_," he said frantically.

"Isn't it always?" She stared at the pregnancy test a few minutes longer before tossing it and one of a different brand into the cart.

"_Well, yeah, but Lyle and Raines are furious. They suspect that it was either you or Jarod who took Baby Parker, which we expected. Several of the Centre's clients are furious. Your brother was contracted to conduct simulations over a span of five years that would have been worth nearly 500 hundred million dollars_," Broots whispered.

"How did you find that out?" Miss Parker asked, forgetting about her problem for the moment.

"_I looked under the name Project Fusion like you told me. There's so much information on this kid it isn't even funny_," Broots said.

"Well, what else have you found?" she asked impatiently.

"_Nothing yet. I'm still running several files through a decryption program as we speak. Whatever information they have on your brother, Miss Parker, they went through a hell of a lot of trouble to keep in under wraps_."

She was starting to get a headache. She grabbed a bottle of aspirin off the shelf and threw it into the cart. "Call me as soon as you find out what's in those files, Broots," and she hung up.

-----

By the time she got home, everyone was awake and breakfast had been cooked. She wasn't hungry, but this time it wasn't because she felt sick. She said her hellos to everyone, greeting Jarod and Matthew with a kiss and then excused herself to go upstairs with her purchases, promising Jarod that she would be down in a little bit to eat her breakfast.

He watched as she hurried up the steps, knowing that something was bothering her, but he decided to give her some space for now.

"She doesn't eat very much," Margaret commented.

"Working for the Centre never leaves one with much of an appetite," he said. He knew she had a lot on her mind. She always did. She had a family that was full of twisted, evil people with deep, ugly secrets; she was now facing the fact that she had a little boy to raise; she had been shot; the Centre was after her; she had been reluctantly thrown into a family that, at first, wanted nothing to do with her; she had been strung along her entire life like a marionette, being lied to constantly; she was in a new relationship with him that hadn't gotten off to the greatest start because of the whole diary fiasco, from which she had learned some of her mother's darkest secrets; her ulcer was flaring up again…the list could go on.

"Why would she stay there if she knew all of terrible things that went on?" Margaret asked pulling Jarod from his musings. "Doesn't she realize that her mother was fighting to destroy that place?"

"Come on, Matt," Ethan said standing from the table. "Let's go outside and play."

Jarod smiled gratefully. Matthew was a genius who was able to understand concepts that many adults never would, but there were still things that a three year old boy didn't need to be concerned with, genius or not. "She knows all about her mother's plans," he said.

"Then why?" Margaret repeated.

"Because she was trapped, mom…just like I was."

-----

Meanwhile, Miss Parker was upstairs pacing the bathroom. Both applicators were sitting on top of their packages on the sink. Everything was happening too fast. She had _just_ reconnected with Jarod and now she was possibly going to having his child? This was not an ideal situation and for the hundredth time, she berated herself for not being more careful. Jarod was going to get an earful for not being careful either. She was just getting used to the idea that she was going to have to be Matthew's mother.

Checking her watch, she saw that the allotted time had passed. A plus meant yes and a minus meant no. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she stood in front of the sink and picked up the little white sticks, one in each hand.

Both positive.

She didn't know whether to be happy or sad, but either way, she couldn't stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks. And how was she going to tell Jarod? She was sure he would want them to stay with his family indefinitely, but she couldn't handle that. The constant doting that was sure to come with the fact that she was going to be bringing a new member of the family into the world. Her and Jarod's relationship was still brand new; she didn't know how he felt about having kids. She knew he loved kids in general, but would he really want to bring any into the world with the kind of lives they were forced to lead? The Centre was after them and they weren't likely to give up on trying to find them any time soon. Matthew and Jarod were way too valuable to whatever game they were playing and apparently so was she. She just wasn't sure exactly how yet.

Wiping the moisture from her eyes, she placed the boxes and sticks back into the plastic grocery bag and went back to her room. She shoved the evidence into one of her luggage bags and checked herself in the mirror before heading back downstairs. She was going to tell Jarod; she would never keep such a thing from him, but she needed a while to get her head together first. There was so much that had to be done now. She would need to find a doctor. She would have to decide if she wanted to stay in Florida or find someplace else to live. Many times she had thought about leaving the country altogether, but she wanted Jarod with her and she wouldn't ask him to leave behind the family that he had worked so hard to reunite.

Forcing herself to calm down, she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen where discussion seemed to cease as soon as she entered.

"Did I interrupt something?" she asked, noticing all eyes on her. "Where's Ethan and Matthew?" she inquired as she took a seat next to Jarod.

"He took Matt out to show him around," Jarod explained, "and no, you aren't interrupting anything." He kissed her cheek and then got up to retrieve her plate from the microwave.

She noticed Margaret staring at her and was surprised when the woman gave her a soft smile. She returned it a little hesitantly. Jarod came back with her plate and she thanked him. "You spoil me," she told him as she looked at the steaming eggs.

Chatter had started up amongst the rest of the table's occupants again and Jarod leaned in closer to her. "Everything okay?" he asked softly. She looked a bit tired and he wondered if her ulcer was bothering her again.

Miss Parker looked up at him. "Fine." She flashed him a brief smile. He stared at her for a moment and she wondered if he somehow knew. Immediately, she chastised herself for being so silly. Of course he couldn't have known. He smiled at her then and placed a light kiss on her lips before turning back to his own meal.

-----

Jarod finished changing into his red swim trunks and headed outside to join Ethan and Matthew at the pond. The family had decided that today was as good a day as any to have a cookout. It was bright and sunny and hot. Emily had the day off from work and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Everyone except Miss Parker. As he walked out the back door, he spotted her form in the hammock, as usual, and made his way over.

"Aren't you going to go swimming with us?" he asked as he approached. She opened her eyes and gave him a slow once over.

"Nice trunks," she smiled slowly, appreciating his built physique.

Jarod smiled at her saucily and crawled clumsily onto the hammock with her. She yelped when he nearly tipped them both onto the ground. He began placing playful kisses on her neck and face as he rested his body on top of hers. She lay their enjoying the feel of him and realized that this was probably why they were in the situation they were in even though he didn't know it yet. She was overwhelmed by a wonderful sense of freedom whenever they were together, even when they were kids. Somehow the creepiness of the Centre didn't seem so bad when they were together, lurking here and there in the dark hallways, playing and narrowly escaping trouble. Now, they really were free and sometimes it was just impossible not to be affected by his enthusiasm for things that everyone else took for granted. Other times, she found it just plain annoying.

"Are you okay?" he asked kissing her lips.

She knew he was picking up on her mood and she knew that she would have to tell him soon. "Fine," she told him pulling him tighter for a more passionate kiss.

Jarod lost himself in her embrace, her tongue doing wonderful things to his mouth. Her hands slid down the warm skin of his bare back, her fingers teasing the waistband of his trunks. "My parents can see us from the deck," he said when he came up for air.

"It's okay. I'm sure they've seen two adults kissing before," she smiled lazily. She traced her thumb along his eyebrow, suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness. Maybe having this baby wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked brushing the hair out of her face.

"Jaaa-rood!" came Matt's sing song voice, just as Miss Parker was about to speak.

"Looks like you're being summonsed," she said. Jarod smiled and made to get up, but she held him still. "We should camp out tonight," she suggested, sighing when he looked at her surprised. "It'll give us a chance to talk with no interruptions." He made to say something, but she placed a hand over his mouth. "Later, I promise. Now get going. I'll join you in a minute." After staring at her for a few more seconds, he gave her one last kiss and rolled off the hammock.

**To be continued...**


	14. Surprise, Surprise

Thanks for the continued feedback. Mwah!

_**Part 14**_

The temperature seemed to soar as the afternoon passed. Miss Parker eventually made her way to the pond to join Ethan and Jarod, watching from the shore as they taught Matthew the basics of swimming. Unsurprisingly, he caught on quickly and was moving through the water like a fish in no time. Jarod had tried coaxing her into the water, but she refused even though it did look refreshing. Once Matt noticed her presence on the shore, he swam over excitedly. _Did you see me swimming, Parker? _he had asked, tugging her hand. She was so glad that there didn't seem to be any lasting affects of the Centre. Maybe she had gotten to him just in time, no doubt Raines and Lyle wouldn't have let him be for much longer before they tried some twisted experiment. The heat of the day couldn't ward off the chill that went through her body just thinking about it.

After they were finally able to persuade Matt from the water, they headed back to the house, beckoned by the aroma of grilled hamburgers, chicken and steak. The boys wasted no time digging in. Miss Parker made a plate for Matt, but didn't fix one for her self. She had a glass of lemonade and watched over Matthew to make sure he didn't make too much of a mess.

Sitting back in her chair, she looked at all of the people around the table. Even though she had made progress in getting to know Jarod's family, she still felt strangely out of place. Looking at Ethan, she was surprised to find him in a conversation with Margaret, but she was glad they were getting past the awkwardness of the whole damned situation.

She stood up from the table suddenly and went into the sweltering house. Did Jarod's family not believe in air conditioners? She thought angrily as she ran her hands through her frizzy hair. Miss Parker was restless and a restless Miss Parker usually resulted in a bitchy Miss Parker. She didn't feel like sitting around having family time anymore and if she didn't find something to do soon, she was going to take her anger out on the wrong person. She went upstairs to her room and paced, not surprised when the door opened a few minutes later.

"Parker, what's wrong?" Jarod asked for what seemed like the millionth time in the last few days.

"Nothing," she growled and then stopped to face him, sighing. "Jarod, we both know that I can be moody as hell at the drop of a dime. Go back outside. There's nothing wrong with me. I promise." She went to the window, facing away from him.

"Parker, I'm not blind," he said stepping closer to her. "Something _is_ bothering you and I want you to tell me what." She whipped around to face him with a dangerous gleam in her eyes and he briefly thought about high tailing it. He took a step back as she stalked closer to him and he soon found his back against the door. She placed her hands flat against his hard chest and leaned in to give him the most toe curling kiss he had ever experienced.

-----

An hour later, Jarod lay on his back, his chest heaving, incredibly satisfied yet incredibly confused. His head rolled lazily to the side to look at Parker who was just as satisfied, but she didn't seem nearly as confused.

"Don't think about it too hard, Jarod," she said smiling with her eyes closed.

He propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at her wonderfully naked body, skin glistening with sweat. He placed his palm on her flat stomach and she opened her beautiful eyes. He detected a hint of fear in them, but she hid it quickly. "Parker, you don't have to be scared," Jarod told her softly. "It doesn't matter, whatever it is. Now, that I have you I'm never letting you go."

Seeing the love in his eyes, she thought maybe now was as good a time as any to tell him. Fiddling with the edge of the sheet, she opened her mouth to speak. "Jarod, I think I'm…"

"What?" he urged gently as she hesitated.

Miss Parker sighed, feeling silly for being so nervous. "I'm pregnant," she said softly. Her heart thudded in her chest. She watched him intently for any kind of reaction and received none. He stared at her blankly for what seemed like an eternity and it made her angry. "Well, say something, damn it!" She shoved his chest and he let himself fall onto his back, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"A baby…" he finally managed.

"Yes, a baby," she said perturbed. His lack of reaction was only serving to make her mad. He hadn't given her one clue as to whether he was happy or disappointed. Grabbing her discarded clothes from where they lay across the bed, she got up and put them on to make the short trip across the hall to the bathroom. When she came back ten minutes later, he was laying on the bed in the same position.

"A baby," he said again.

"Do you think you could manage to say more than those two words?" she asked. She threw her towel at him and dug through her things for fresh underwear and clothes.

Jarod sat up in bed and stared at her in awe as she dressed with her back to him. This beautiful, intelligent, fierce woman was going to be the mother of his baby. "I'm going to be a daddy," he finally said, grinning like an idiot.

"Yeah, and in case you hadn't noticed, Mommy is over here about to have a nervous breakdown!" she snapped at him.

Jarod finally broke out of his stupor and climbed out of bed to go to her. "I'm sorry," he said as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "Are you okay?" he asked pulling her into his arms.

"Just great, considering I don't know the first thing about having a baby," she mumbled into his neck.

"Me either," he told her. "But at least we'll be together," he assured her.

"Jarod, this isn't exactly the most ideal life to bring a baby into," she informed him.

"I know," he said soberly. He knew the Centre would always be after them, but he would do whatever he had to protect what was his even if it came to stopping them for good. He and Parker had already lost so much to them; he'd be damned if he would let it happen again. He hugged her tighter, closing his eyes against the dark thoughts. This was supposed to be a happy time. Parker was pregnant! "We have to tell everyone," he said pulling away and grabbing his swim trunks off the floor.

"Jarod, wait," she said. "We shouldn't tell anyone yet. I haven't even been to a doctor to confirm it," she explained. Even if she had, she still wasn't ready for everyone to know.

"You're right," he sighed. "But we have to start making plans. The baby is going to need all sorts of things; clothes, furniture, toys…" Jarod's mind was running in a million different directions.

"Whoa, pez head, slow down," Miss Parker said holding up her hands. "One thing at a time."

"You're right," Jarod smiled. "I'm just so excited." He looked at her closely. "You're happy, too aren't you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I never gave having children much thought," she told him honestly, "Because I didn't think it would ever happen anyway. If there was ever a time when it crossed my mind it was with…"

"Thomas," he finished softly.

She gave a bitter smile. "We all know what the Centre did to stop that way of thinking." Turning away from him, she moved back to look out the window. Jarod followed her and placed him arms around her from behind. "So," she sighed, "you can probably imagine that I never thought much about it. Hell, at times I didn't think I would make it past the age of thirty-five."

"Don't say that," Jarod scolded. "I would go crazy if anything happened to you. Even before you left the Centre, Sydney always told me about the times Raines and Lyle threatened you over the years. I always hated that I couldn't do more to get you away from that place."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Jarod. I wouldn't _let_ anyone do anything to help me," she said. She smiled as she felt his hands slide down to her stomach.

"I can't wait until you start showing," he grinned.

"I can." She turned around in his arms and he pulled her into a kiss.

"You're going to be a beautiful mother," he said.

"Well, I'm glad you think so. And for the record, this doesn't mean that I'm going to start wearing flower print summer dresses and tripping through fields of tall grass and wildflowers."

**To be continued...**


	15. Testing

**Part 15**

"Jarod, he doesn't need anymore marshmallows. He's going to get a sugar rush and be up all night," Miss Parker said from her spot around the fire, laughing when he pouted as pathetically as Matt did.

"Please, Parker, just one more," Matt begged. She looked at his adorable face and caved.

"Fine, one more and then it's off to bed."

Jarod grinned at her and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Softy." She scowled and he laughed.

Even though Jarod knew about the baby now, he thought it still a good idea for the three of them to camp out together. He made sure to bring extra blankets for Parker to lie on, wanting her to be as comfortable as possible. He tried not to fuss over her too much, but he couldn't help himself.

"Come on, I'll tuck you in," Miss Parker said taking Matt's hand and ducking into the tent with him.

"Goodnight, Jarod."

"Night, Matthew," he smiled.

She came out a few minutes later and took a seat in between Jarod's outstretched legs where he sat on the ground.

"He's asleep already?"

She nodded. "He's been going so strong all day. I don't think an entire bag of sugar could have kept him up, actually."

"He's anxious to do everything he can," Jarod said resting his chin on her shoulder. "Probably because he wasn't allowed to do anything accept tests and simulations before."

Miss Parker closed her eyes at the unfairness of it all. "At least we got to him before they could do any damage. Raines and the others always figured they'd made a mistake by letting Sydney be in charge of you."

"Sydney had too much of a heart," Jarod said.

"They need a pretender who doesn't have a conscience, but can still be controlled." She gave a short laugh. "What in the hell kind of twilight zone are we living in? Imagine all of the things that we still don't know about that place, the children they might have hidden away…"

A terrible realization came to them both at the same time. "Parker," Jarod whispered, his hold tightening around her, "No one can know about our baby, not Sydney, not Broots, no one still involved with the Centre," he said gravely. He trusted Sydney and Broots, but he didn't doubt the level the Centre would stoop to in order to pull information from them if they thought they had it.

"We both have the pretender gene. No doubt our child will have it, too."

"If they find out, we'll never be able to rest."

"It's funny," she said staring into the fire. "Most couples get to be happy when they find out they're going to have a baby, but not us. We have to worry about the men in black and what they're going to do if they find us." And as she said the words, she realized that she used to be one of those men in black. "I guess I'm getting a whole new understanding of how you felt all these years."

"Parker, we've been through this," he scolded gently. "It wasn't your fault. You were forced to do what you had to do to survive and I know that now." His own guilt surfaced as he thought of Thomas again. "I think I should become an obstetrician. That way you can come in and I can do any of the tests you need done and make sure no trail is left behind."

"How long will you need to set up?" she asked.

"I can be ready in about two days," he said.

"Maybe we should wait until we go back to Clearwater," Miss Parker suggested.

"You still want to go back?"

She turned around to face him. "Jarod, I have two words for you…"Full House"." She rolled her eyes when he looked at her confused. "We can't stay here forever. We need space of our own, especially now that we're going to have a family of our own. Look," she continued when he stayed quiet, "I know you don't want to leave your family yet and you don't have to. Matt and I will go back to Florida and start making some arrangements." She wasn't sure if Ethan wanted to return with them or not.

"The Centre already suspects that it was either you or me who took Matt. The danger for us will be ten times greater," he told her. "I think it's best if we stay together right now."

"It won't do us any good if they find us all in one spot. It'll be like fish in a barrel."

Jarod understood her point, but he still didn't like it. The stakes were higher now that children were involved. The old country house had been the longest his family was able to stay together without the Centre finding them and he wanted to keep it that way. But he knew Miss Parker would be adamant. He also knew that she would protect what was hers at any cost, especially if it meant losing to the Centre. That alleviated some of his worry, but a part of him couldn't help but be protective of his new family. He didn't want Parker or Matt out of his sight.

-----

She was dressed to kill in a black, mini that showed off wonderfully tanned legs, a tight, sleeveless, black top, and black high heels. Her long, thick hair and make up were perfect and she strode gracefully to the receptionist's desk and confirmed her appointment.

"Two o'clock with Dr. Moreau," came the velvety, deep voice.

The receptionist eyeballed her before looking at the appointment calendar on the computer. "Miss Lewis?" she questioned.

"Yes, Parker Lewis."

"The doctor will be with you in just a few moments."

With a nod, she turned and took a seat with the other women in the waiting area. She looked terribly out of place amongst the others who were at varying degrees of pregnancy, most dressed in jeans or khakis and she felt a few eyes on her as she took a seat, crossing long legs. Quite used to such attention, she simply ignored it. Her eye caught a woman dressed in a maternity, jean dress and she groaned internally, praying she didn't end up wearing such atrocious clothing as her pregnancy continued. One woman was so big that she looked like she was going to pop at any moment.

_I'm going to kill him_, she thought as five more minutes passed and then another ten. Two other women had been called back and she was just starting to flip through a Time magazine when her name was called. She followed the receptionist down the hallway and around a corner before being led into an exam room to wait some more.

"If you'll just change into the gown there, the doctor will be right with you," the lady said before leaving her in the ice cold room alone.

Miss Parker picked up the gown and gave it a once over before dropping it back to the table. Arms crossed in front of her, she began snooping through the room, occasionally picking up a jar of this and that. At the sound of the door opening, she turned around casually and glared at the man who was pretending to be her doctor.

"Oooh, you look sexy," Jarod grinned as he closed the door and walked over to her. He hadn't seen her all day due to having to get up extra early to prepare for the pretend. After creating phony documents and identifications for himself and Parker, he drove fifty miles to the clinic he had chosen.

"Took you long enough to call me back here," she said haughtily, arms still crossed as Jarod kissed the corner of her mouth. He was dressed handsomely in a crisp, white shirt, a blue, silk tie, black slacks, and a white lab coat. He even got a haircut. "There could be cameras in here."

"I checked," he said nuzzling her neck and inhaling her intoxicating scent.

She tilted her head to the side to give him a little better access. "So," she sighed, enjoying the attention, "did we come here to make out or are you going to give me a urine test?"

Jarod rested his forehead on her shoulder and laughed. "Mm, very romantic, Miss Parker."

She shrugged and gave a lazy, half grin when he looked at her. "I'm not wearing that gown."

"I didn't expect you would," he smiled. Walking over to one of the cabinets, he pulled out a small plastic cup with a lid. "Bathroom is right through there," he said pointing at a door.

"How long is it going to take for the results?" she asked when she came out a few minutes later.

"Not long. I'm going to go to the lab and do the tests myself." He unbuttoned his lab coat and took it off. "You're my last patient for the day. If I can get to the lab within the next hour, I should make it home in time for dinner."

"You're going to be a lab technician today as well?" Miss Parker asked. He really was an amazing man.

"Yup. I'm going to do everything myself. I should get going," he said placing a hand on her hip. She straightened his tie and stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Be careful," she told him before kissing him softly.

Jarod deepened the kiss, never quite able to get enough of her. "I will," he said smoothing a hand over her hair. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Miss Parker smiled.

-----

By the time she got back home, everyone was off doing their own thing, which she was glad about. She didn't much feel like dodging questions about where she and Jarod had been all day. Walking into the kitchen, she rummaged through the refrigerator for a bottle of water and then went in search of Matthew. She hadn't seen him since that morning and she missed him. Stepping out onto the back porch, she took a long drink of her water and looked out toward the hammock to find it occupied. Squinting her eyes suspiciously, she stepped off the porch and made her way over.

As she got closer, she saw that it was Ethan dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top with his hands clasped behind his head, looking the epitome of comfortable. "Hey, little brother."

Ethan opened his eyes and blinked up at her. "Hey, sister, are you just getting back?" he asked. She nodded. "Is Jarod back yet?" She shook her head no and he smiled, deciding to leave his questions at that.

Miss Parker looked at him curiously, wondering if he already knew about the baby. "Where's Matt?" she asked.

"He's down by the pond with Charles. He's teaching him how to fish," Ethan said.

"How long have they been down there?"

"At least three hours."

"And he hasn't gotten restless yet?" she asked surprised.

"He can be an intense little kid."

"He can," she agreed. "He reminds me a lot of Jarod." She remembered sneaking in as a little girl to watch Jarod and Sydney do some of their simulations. He was always so focused, so empathetic to the situation he was in. There had been a few times when she saw Matt with the same focus, whether he was learning a new game or trying to understand a television show. She appreciated his natural desire to understand things on a deeper level, but she hoped as he grew older he would learn to simply enjoy things.

"How long are you going to be staying this time?" he asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Not much longer," she answered. "I hate to take him away from all of this, but we can't stay forever."

"I figured," he said nodding.

"Are you coming back with us?" They had discussed the fact that he might be setting out on his own again, but he had never quite made a decision.

"I think I'll stay here a while longer before moving on," he said after a moment. "I've been getting to know Margaret over the past few days." He laughed when his sister quirked an eyebrow. "It's been a little awkward, but we're getting past that."

"I'm glad for you," she told him and she meant it.

"It'll happen with you, too…eventually. We've talked about you some."

"Oh, really?" she said crossing her arms.

"Mhm. She's beginning to realize that you aren't to blame for all of this." Miss Parker nodded, but she didn't express what she thought about that statement. "What are you going to do when you get back home?" he asked changing the subject.

"I'm not sure," she sighed. "Matt needs to get into some sort of routine. He needs to be around other children, but I'm afraid to let him out of my sight. The Centre has eyes everywhere."

Ethan nodded knowingly. Raines used to always have someone from the Centre watching him ever since he was a little boy. He looked up at his sister who was staring out over the yard and, for the millionth time, he wished he could have known her and their mother like a real family.

**To be continued...**


	16. Not So Understanding

Yay, for reviewers! I hope everyone is still enjoying this. It's turned out to be the longest story I've ever written.

**Part 16**

It was nearing eight o'clock at night when Jarod strolled through the front door with a shopping bag in his hand, whistling. He smelled garlic, onions and tomato sauce in the air and guessed that someone had made spaghetti for dinner. "I like spaghetti," he said smiling to himself.

Things had gone smoothly at the lab and Miss Parker was indeed pregnant. Before leaving, he made sure to destroy any evidence of her ever visiting the clinic and he gave them a plausible excuse as to why he wouldn't be back anytime soon even though he had just arrived two days ago.

Strolling into the kitchen to see if his hunch about dinner was right, he found his mother sitting at the table with a magazine.

"Hello, mother," he said walking over to her and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Well, what's got you so happy?" she asked smiling.

Jarod wanted so bad to tell her and the rest of his family, but he understood Parker's point about waiting. "Just a good day is all," he said vaguely.

"There's a plate for you in the oven. Miss Parker made it for you," she said watching closely as her sons face lit up. "She cooked the entire dinner, in fact."

"Really?" Jarod smiled. He pulled out the heaping plate of spaghetti and garlic bread.

"Mhm. She kicked everyone out of the kitchen," Margaret said evenly. "I wasn't sure she was able to do anything more than point a gun."

Jarod's smile faltered and he turned to face her. "Mom," he said reproachfully. He thought she was beginning to understand Parker better, but the sarcastic comment obviously said different.

"I'm sorry, but it's just all I've ever seen her do in the past," Margaret said, though her tone wasn't very apologetic.

"There are many sides of Parker that most people haven't, and probably never will, see," he explained.

"And you've seen these facets?" she asked.

"I've been lucky enough to," he nodded. "She the most brilliant woman I've ever laid eyes on."

Margaret could clearly see the affection in her son's eyes.

"Did you know that I've known her since I was a little boy?" He moved to the table and sat down next to her, hooking his shopping bag on the back of the chair. "She was the first girl that I'd ever seen," he smiled.

Margaret was surprised by that bit of information. There were so many things that she still didn't know, things she probably never would. "There were no other girls there?"

"None that I ever saw except for her. We were best friends. She would sneak in to see me and we would play together for hours. She would have been in a lot of trouble if she ever got caught."

"So what changed?" Margaret asked. They had obviously stopped being friends at some point.

"A part of her shut down when she lost her mother and her father sent her away…put lies into her head about me and about the Centre. She's been lied to about her past and who she is as much as I have, mom," Jarod said sadly.

"Jarod, I hear what you're saying to me, but I can't forget the fact that she made a conscious decision to hunt you like some animal," she said harshly. "I can't even count the number of times she and that place have kept us from being together. How much of our lives have been sacrificed."

Jarod pushed his plate away, his appetite gone. He hated to see his mother hurting so much and he hated the fact that he couldn't make her understand about Miss Parker. How was she going to react when they finally told her that she was going to be a grandmother?

"Mom," he said turning to face her, "I _love_ Parker." And he wasn't going to let her go for anyone. Not even his mother.

"Hey, you two," Major Charles said as he walked in on them.

"Hi, dad." Jarod stood up from his chair and grabbed his shopping bag, glad for the interruption. "I need to go and find Parker. I'll see you guys later," he said hurrying out the back door.

Charles took one look at his wife's face as she watched after their son and knew that he had walked in on something serious.

"Oh, Charles," she said sadly as she walked to the screen door and followed Jarod with her eyes in the waning daylight. He went straight to the hammock where Miss Parker always was and leaned down to kiss her.

"Margie, those two kids love each other and there's nothing we can do about it and we shouldn't try to anyway," Charles said placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know that we've had more than our share of troubles over the years, but from what Jarod tells me, some days he wouldn't have made it in the Centre if it wasn't for Miss Parker being his friend. We have to remember that we weren't the only ones hurt or manipulated by the Centre. She hasn't had an easy life either."

Margaret sighed angrily. "Why does everyone keep defending that woman? Does she have you all under a spell or something?" She continued watching out the door as Jarod climbed onto the cot and continued kissing her. Over thirty years ago she had lost her son to the Centre and now she felt as if she was losing him to the woman who was a part of the Centre. Would she ever win?

Charles could feel the tension in his wife's shoulders and he knew what she was thinking. "We aren't losing him to her, Margie."

"We never had him," she said bitterly. "I haven't been able to simply _be_ with him for over thirty years and still he's spent nearly every waking moment with her." She stormed away from the door and walked over to clear Jarod's half eaten plate from the table.

Charles watched his wife. He had never known her to be such an angry person. "He has a relationship with her, honey." More of a relationship than he had with them, but he thought it best not to bring that point to light. "He's created a life for himself and we can't expect him to drop it just because we're here."

"Parker blood runs through that woman's veins."

"You forgetting that Catherine's blood runs through those veins, too," Charles told his wife sternly. "Catherine Parker did everything in her power to help us and our boy. She put herself in danger to save Jarod before she could even rescue her own daughter and now she's dead because of it. Miss Parker's a victim of the Centre as much as any of us. The least we could do in honor of Catherine Parker's memory is to give her daughter a chance."

Margaret turned away from her husband and brushed her tears away.

"You said it yourself, Margie. The Chosen and the Seeress are the future of the Centre and you have to face the fact that Miss Parker is here to stay."

"Well, maybe I'm not as forgiving as you are, Charles." She moved passed him out of the kitchen.

Charles sighed as he watched his wife's retreating back. He hated to be so blunt with her, but she would only serve to drive a wedge between herself and Jarod if she didn't learn to accept the woman their son loved and that was the last thing he wanted.

-----

"So I'm officially pregnant, huh?"

"Yup," Jarod answered with a grin. He and Parker lay in the hammock together as darkness descended.

"What's in the bag?" she asked.

"A book about pregnancy," he said. "I bought it during my lunch break. I've skimmed about half of it, but then I thought maybe we could read it together."

They were both on their sides facing each other and Miss Parker could see his eyes glinting in the fading light. _And so it begins_, she thought. The worried, overly tentative daddy role fit Jarod to a T, but she supposed there could be worse things in life than having the man you loved take care of you. "You didn't let anyone see it, did you?" she asked concerned.

"No, it never left my sight." He frowned as he thought about the conversation with his mother.

"What's wrong?" Miss Parker asked noticing.

"Nothing."

He answered a little too quickly for her liking. "Its obviously something," she insisted.

Jarod sighed. "My mother is being difficult," he said.

Miss Parker smirked. "Not as far along in her acceptance of me as you thought, huh?"

"You know, I can do just about anything, but I can't make my mother see reason," he frowned.

Miss Parker stroked his hair as she listened to him. "Jarod, that woman has been through a lifetime of pain, her family ripped apart by the Centre, the very place _my_ family built. You can't expect her to be so forgiving so quickly." No matter what Ethan or Jarod had told her about Margaret not blaming her, she knew it wasn't going to be that simple. "The very same place robbed me of my life and I can't say that I've forgiven them either or that I ever will," she told him.

Jarod sighed and scooted closer to her. He understood what she was saying, but his mother was just going to have to get used to the fact that Parker was in his life to stay, especially now that they had an unexpected family. But he couldn't have been any happier if it was planned. Hopefully she would see things differently once she knew about the baby.

_**To be continued...**_


	17. Home Again

Well, this story is over one hundred pages, which is super long for me. I usually don't write stories this long because I don't want to get burned out and end up not finishing it, but I've pumped it out in a fairly timely fashion, I'd say. It's also the most inspired I've ever been to write a story. So anyway, what I'm trying to say is that, I've raised a lot of questions in this story and instead of continuing and making it one super long story, I think I'm going to break it up and start a seperate continuation. That way, I can give this story a bit of an ending and take some time to collect my thoughts for the next one without leaving you guys hanging too badly. This story still has a chapter or two more to go though. So, thank you all very much for your continued interest and support of this. I appreciate each and every review.

**Part 17**

_**Clearwater, Florida**_

What was there to teach a child who already knew pretty much everything and even if he didn't he got it on the first try. At first, Parker was at a loss as to what to do with Matthew everyday, but she soon learned that with Jarod around the little boy would never get bored. They always seemed to find something to do whether it was playing on the beach or finding some project around the house. Once, she had gone out to the beach to find that they had sculpted the White House and it had only taken them two hours. Later they told her it wouldn't have taken that long if she hadn't called them in for lunch.

They had decided to stay in Clearwater for the time being. The next home was at least six miles in either direction and they had plenty of privacy. Jarod even knew someone in the area who would be able to keep Matt for them if they ever needed her to. A woman by the name of Roberta Wilcox ran a daycare out of her home not very far from them. He had helped her once when one her clients falsely accused her of endangering the children she watched. Jarod had assured Parker that the woman was trustworthy and she decided to take his word for it knowing that Jarod would die before he ever let anything happen to the boy.

The departure from Jarod's family a few weeks ago had not gone very well. Margaret was upset at the fact that Jarod was leaving so soon and with Miss Parker no less. Ethan had been surprised at the venom he heard in the woman's voice when she spoke to his sister. He had been wrong about her making any progress with Parker.

"_Your family already took my son from me once and now you're doing it again_," she had said.

Miss Parker held her tongue, but it wasn't easy. The woman seemed to want to blame her for every injustice in the world. Jarod seemed to be shocked into silence. His mother was turning out to be a lot different than the woman he had been picturing for the past thirty years.

Early one morning, she walked into the kitchen to find Jarod and Matt eating Fruit Loops.

"How long have you two been up?" she asked huskily.

Jarod looked at her sleep rumpled form and smiled. "Only a couple of hours." He grabbed her hand as she walked by and tugged it gently so she would lean down for a good morning kiss. He tried not to let a day go by without one. When she stood up straight again, he wrapped an arm around her waist and placed a kiss on her silk, pajama clad stomach. "Good morning, little baby," he whispered.

Parker smiled, having gotten used to this morning, noon and night ritual, and ran a hand over the top of his head affectionately.

"Jarod, why do you kiss Parker's stomach so much?" asked a curious Matt. Jarod looked up at Parker who quirked her brow as if to say "how are you gonna answer that one". Turning to Matt, he stuttered.

"Well…I…"

"Listen, pal," Miss Parker said coming to Jarod's rescue, "can you keep a secret? A very important secret?" she asked taking a seat next to him. He nodded enthusiastically and she looked at Jarod before continuing. "I'm going to have a baby," she told him gently and smiled when his eyes grew wide.

"But you have to promise that you won't tell anyone yet," Jarod told him sternly yet gently at the same time. "Not even Margaret or Charles."

"I promise," Matt said, practically bubbling with excitement. Jarod was grinning too, excited all over again.

Miss Parker yawned and looked at the clock on the stove. It was only eight o'clock. "I'm going back to bed," she announced. As her pregnancy continued, she grew more and more tired and it wasn't unusual for her to sleep until noon. Her appetite had started to improve and she ate several small meals a day. Jarod made sure of it and she was grateful, knowing that she probably wouldn't be taking as good a care of herself if he wasn't around.

"I'll join you in a minute," he called as she left the kitchen. Finishing the last of his now soggy cereal, he waited for Matt to be done with his. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yep," Matt said. He slowly lifted his bowl and waited for Jarod to do the same.

"Ready…set…go!" Jarod tilted his bowl up to his lips and gulped down the sugary milk.

"Done!" Matt yelled as he placed his bowl back on the table.

Jarod looked up from his bowl to see that he had been beaten. "Hey, how'd you get done so fast?"

Matt threw his head back and laughed. "I didn't put as much milk in my bowl as you did."

Jarod squinted at the boy who was now sporting a milk mustache. "Sneaky, sneaky," he smiled. Standing from the table, he placed his bowl in the sink and began fixing some tea for Parker. Then he sent Matt to his bedroom, Ethan's old room, to get dressed. As he stood waiting for the water to boil, he thought about his mother and the not so good goodbye a few weeks ago. It saddened him to see her so bitter and angry at everything and he didn't know how to help her. She was blaming Miss Parker unfairly and he didn't know what to say to make her understand.

The whistling of the tea kettle pulled him from his thoughts and he took it off the red hot eye. After making two pieces of buttered toast, he carried his offerings into their bedroom, where Parker was once again dozing. Her eyes opened when he sat the food down on the nightstand.

"Breakfast in bed," he smiled, and went around to the other side to climb in next to her under the warm covers. She sat up a little and he gladly welcomed the feel of her back resting against his chest. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

"Fine," she sighed. "Just tired as usual."

"I read in the book that it's perfectly normal for pregnant women to feel tired a lot," he said.

"I don't remember reading that," she said thinking back to the night before. She had been lying in bed watching television when Jarod came in with the book he bought about pregnancy.

"That's because you fell asleep before we even got past the first page," he laughed.

"See what I mean? I sleep ten hours a night and take naps in the evening. I've never been so inactive in my life," she grumbled. "I'm going to get fat."

"Just more for me to love," Jarod said kissing her neck. "Hey!" he cried when she pinched his thigh.

"Very funny," she said before crunching into her toast. "Where's Matt?" she asked.

"In his room," Jarod answered. Parker offered him a bite of her toast and he gladly accepted the buttery goodness. "Have you heard anything else from Broots concerning him?"

"Nothing yet," she said taking a sip of the hot tea. "He said there was a lot of information that needed to be decrypted."

"He probably has to be extra careful now that Lyle and Raines are so suspicious," Jarod reasoned.

"Have you thought anymore about what your mother said? About the Chosen and the Seeress?"

"At least a hundred times a day," he admitted. "I'm so tired of getting bits and pieces of information and getting nowhere."

She knew exactly how he felt. He had always been the one who led her to dead ends in the past, but she certainly wasn't going to bring that up. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with him. Sitting her tea on the nightstand, she leaned back and relaxed in his embrace. "Maybe Broots can shine some light on things soon," she said.

"What would we do without Mr. Broots?" Jarod said and he knew the nerdy little man had a special place in Parker's heart. "Did you know that he's in love with you?"

"Mhm," she answered half asleep. "You jealous?"

Jarod huffed. "What do I have to be jealous of? I've already got you barefoot _and_ pregnant," he smirked. She turned around to give him a murderous glare and he quickly wiped the smile off his face. "Did you know that phrase was coined on August 27, 1963 by Paul Van Dalsem who was an Arkansas legislator?" he spouted, quickly trying to change the subject. He sat helplessly as she maneuvered her body and sat across his lap.

She leaned in closer until their noses were almost touching. "You're cute when you're trapped," she smiled deviously.

Jarod was lost in the piercing blue of her eyes, the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, which only made sense since she was also the most beautiful woman. She could do anything to him and he wouldn't have cared, even pull her 9mm, which happened to be tucked away safely for the time being. She brushed her nose against his affectionately and he closed his eyes smiling. He loved it when Parker was playful with him.

Jarod's beard was at that ruggedly handsome length that she loved so much and she brushed her cheek against his, enjoying the feel of the prickly stubble. "What's Matthew doing in his room?" she asked, continuing to nuzzle him. Her hands smoothed down his arms, enjoying the hardness of the muscles there.

"Playing," he answered distractedly. Nearly every morning, when he sent Matthew to his room to get dressed, he would spend at least an hour drawing or simply playing with the many toys they had spoiled him with.

This was another benefit of Parker's pregnancy. Her moods were constantly changing and it wasn't uncommon for her to want sex at the strangest times. All thoughts of anything but her left him as she pressed light kisses to his lips, kisses that grew deeper and longer. He groaned when he felt her pull away and opened his eyes to see her unbuttoning the silk night shirt she wore for pajamas. Quickly, he tore off his own shirt and then pushed the silk cloth off her smooth shoulders as she finished with the last button.

Jarod was amazed at the many changes Parker's body was already going through. Her breasts had become fuller and her nipples had become particularly sensitive. He gently brushed the pad of his thumb across one before taking it into his mouth, his tongue circling it softly. He was encouraged by the soft moans she let out and moved to give the other breast the same attention.

Parker reveled in the sensation of his tongue and sighed in pleasure as his hands roamed from her back down to the curve of her slightly fuller hips and lower still. He was the most tentative lover she had ever had, seemingly happy to give her pleasure first and foremost every time. "Lie back," he commanded gently. She complied and watched as he stood from the bed to finish undressing. Crawling across the mattress, he grinned at her before moving in to kiss her languorously.

Once he had the rest of her clothing off, he settled his body between her legs, joining them in the most intimate way.

**_To be continued..._**


	18. Revelations

Okay, people. Here is the end of the first story. Thanks, again, to all of my reviewers. I'm glad I was able to keep your attention for so long. I can't say for sure when the next story will be out, but I'll definitely be working on it.

**Part 18**

Jarod knew he should get up and check on Matt, but he couldn't help admiring a sleeping Parker. He pulled the snow white sheet around her shoulders better to protect her from the chill of the air conditioning. She was his everything and she always had been even when he didn't know it or wouldn't admit it. She had rebuffed his subtle advances in the past, but now he knew it was because she was afraid, just as he had been really. The circumstances had been unfortunate, but he was glad they were given the chance to see beyond their fears because he couldn't imagine another moment without her.

He held his breath while she turned over, her back now facing him. He wanted to make sure she got as much sleep as possible. The sheet had fallen off her shoulder and he saw the scar left on her back by the bullet from Willie and Raines' sniper rifle. He remembered that day well, but he wished he could forget it, that it never happened. She had been _so_ close to death. He remembered feeling like his heart would burst as he watched the bullet rip through her flesh and the resulting spray of blood. Scooting closer, he eased an arm around her waist and pressed his lips to the scar.

Rising from the bed slowly, he pulled on his pants and let him self out of the room to see what Matt was up to. Not finding him in his bedroom, he checked the kitchen and found him drawing at the table.

"What's all this?" he asked, rifling through the papers. Any normal three year old would be drawing stick figures and scribbling with crayons or markers, but Matt had drawn detailed sketches using pencil.

"That one is Parker," he pointed with the unused eraser of his pencil.

Jarod studied the picture of a very pregnant Miss Parker. "How do you know this is what she'll look like?" he asked, already harboring a guess.

"I saw it while I was sleeping," Matt said. "I also saw the baby."

Jarod's eyes shot up from the picture. "You did?"

"Mhm," he nodded, his attention having gone back to the sketch he was working on. "She and I were playing together."

Jarod listened amazed. If he and Parker had intended on being surprised about the sex of their baby, they could forget it now.

A little girl.

A grin slowly lit his face as he imagined his baby. He hoped she looked just like Parker. After rifling through the other drawings, he didn't see any of a little girl. Standing from his seat, he leaned against the counter and watched as Matt continued to draw, oblivious to his shock of learning about his baby.

-----

Miss Parker woke up to the blinding light of the sun shining in her eyes. Begrudgingly, she pushed the warm sheets off of her body and sat up groggily on the edge of the bed, running a slender hand through her tousled hair. She felt like she could have slept ten more hours, at _least_. After a long, catlike stretch, she padded her way naked to the adjoining bathroom and adjusted the knobs for the shower.

The warm spray felt wonderful against her achy body, some of that ache due to her pregnancy, some due to the fact that she couldn't keep her hands off of Jarod. She gave a lazy smile as she reached for the shampoo. Just months ago she had been chasing the man down and now she was having his baby. It was still so unbelievable to her, but she couldn't deny that it was just about the happiest she had ever been in her life.

With a growling stomach, she hurried to lather her body and rinse off, the apple Jarod had baked last night calling her name. Grabbing a towel off the rack, she stepped into the bedroom and picked out her clothing for the day, an azalea pink tank top and a pair of white, chino crops. The tailor made business attire she had become accustomed to was a thing of the past it seemed. Now, most of her clothes were ordered—she still couldn't force herself to shop in the local department stores—and she found that she rather enjoyed a company called _Land's End_. She could dress more casual without looking downright horrific.

After blow drying her long hair, and making a mental note to get a haircut, she sat on the edge of the bed to apply lotion to her body. Her phone chirped from its place on the nightstand and she hurried to get it.

"What?" she said holding it between her ear and shoulder.

"_Miss Parker, its Broots_," came the hushed, but anxious voice of the technician.

"Broots, what in the hell has been going on for the past month?" she demanded.

"_Oh, Miss Parker, you aren't going to believe what I've discovered about baby Parker_."

"Tell me, Broots," she said abandoning her bottle of lotion on the bed behind her, "and don't you dare leave a thing out." Her breathing had become more rapid, a feeling of nervousness settling in the pit of her stomach.

"_I literally just finished decrypting all of the files," he began. "The Centre virtually had baby Parker's entire future mapped out for him. He was promised in the use of hundreds of simulations…terrible things, Miss Parker. Raines wasn't going to make the same mistake that he made before by allowing someone else to handle him. He always made sure that either he or Lyle was in charge. The only reason they let you visit him was to keep you from getting too suspicious. The DSAs allowed us to see some of the terrible things they tricked Jarod into simulating, but it was nothing compared to what they had planned for this kid_," Broots explained. "_Think Hiroshima, the holocaust, and the Rwandan genocide wrapped into one multiplied by a thousand_."

Miss Parker closed her eyes at the horrific things that could have happened if she hadn't gotten Matt out of there. "The Centre truly is the root of all evil," she whispered. "Broots, you and Sydney have to get out of their," she said with conviction. If they didn't get out soon, they might never.

"_Believe me, Miss Parker, I know. Things are much different now that you're gone_."

"Just say the word, Broots. Jarod and I will do everything we can to make sure you and Debbie are safe."

"I don't think Sydney is going to be so easily convinced," Broots said. "He feels too responsible for the things that have happened in the Centre. He doesn't want to leave his patients."

_Stubborn old man_, Parker thought. It wasn't going to be easy to make him see reason when he had so much guilt on his shoulders. She knew a little about that.

"_S-s-so you and Jarod are together now?_" Broots asked nervously. Miss Parker rolled her eyes.

-----

"What else did you and the baby talk about?" Jarod asked pouring them each a glass of apple juice.

"She told me her name…"

"Wait!" Jarod said holding up a hand. "Don't tell me. I want it to be a surprise." Matt giggled and nodded.

"She told me something else, too," the little boy said rather hesitantly.

-----

"What else did the files say, Broots?" Parker ignored his question concerning her and Jarod's relationship.

"_Well_," he began clearing his throat, "_He was intended to be a super pretender, incomparable to any other pretender…even Jarod. The capture of Jarod was taking too long and they couldn't afford to wait any longer. They needed someone to continue with the simulations. They were desperate, Miss Parker_." There was a short pause. "_They even considered using either you or Lyle, but bagged the idea at the last minute because neither of you had been trained properly._"

"And they would get the best results if we had been trained since childhood," she interrupted.

"_Exactly,_" Broots said. "_Not to mention the fact that you would have been uncooperative, but Raines came up with an even better idea, an idea that had the Triumvirate's full backing_."

"Matthew," Parker whispered.

"_Yeah…and, Miss Parker…there's more…_" he hesitated.

Parker's brow furrowed and she could feel her stomach knotting even tighter. "Tell me, Broots."

"_Well…it's about baby Parker's parentage_…"

-----

Matthew had stopped drawing, playing nervously with his pencil and Jarod took a seat in the chair next to him.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me," he said trying to reassure the boy. He hadn't seen him this nervous since Parker had first rescued him.

Matt eyed the man sitting next to him. He liked Jarod a lot, as much as he liked Parker, loved them even. Jarod actually paid attention to him, not at all like Mr. Raines or Mr. Lyle at the Centre. Other than making him do tests and experiments that he didn't want to do, they always ignored him. They never played with him like Jarod did, or hugged him like Parker. Even though he had only known Jarod and Parker for a short time, he felt close to them, almost like he knew them somehow.

"She told me…that I was her brother…that you and Parker were our mom and dad."

-----

"_It turns out that Brigitte really was nothing more than a vessel for baby Parker_," Broots said as Parker listened intently. "_We already knew that the Centre had Jarod's genetic material, but…they had yours, too, Miss Parker_."

She closed her eyes as she listened to Broots speaking.

"_The ultimate plan was to create someone who had the skills to be a pretender and the inner sense, hence the name Project Fusion. Raines knew about your mother's inner sense and he took a chance that you would have it, too_." Broots sighed deeply. "_Miss Parker…you and Jarod…_"

"Are Matthew's parents…" she breathed. The phone dropped from her hand and landed with a dull thud on the carpeted floor.

"_Miss Parker, are you there_?" came Broots' distant voice. She ignored it and headed for the bedroom door in a rush.

When she reached the kitchen, she stopped in the doorway. Jarod was holding Matthew in his arms, a look of pure shock on his face as he studied the little boy. Her vision of them blurred as tears pooled in her eyes. She walked closer and Jarod finally looked at her, his eyes filled with tears also.

"He's our son," he whispered.

**_End of Story 1_**


	19. Conclusion

_Okay, I know I said the last chapter was where I was going to stop, but I decided to tack this little piece on. I like it better this way. _

**Part 19 **

Jarod walked through the darkened living room checking the locks on the doors and windows. It was close to midnight and Matt had gone to bed hours ago. He had done nothing but stare at the little boy all day long in light of their newest revelation and he had caught Parker staring a few times also. Shouldn't they have known? Shouldn't there have been something inside of him that ultimately knew that the boy was his son? As he studied him all day, he could suddenly see so much of Parker and himself in the little boy, from his eyes to his nose to his ears, even in his mannerisms.

With a heavy sigh, he headed into the bedroom for a shower passing Parker's sleeping form on the bed. It had really taken some persuading to get her to eat a decent meal that day, but he couldn't blame her for not wanting to. He usually loved eating, but the news they had been given was like a blow to the stomach. He gently reminded her that the baby needed her and she let herself be talked into a bowl of chicken soup. They had yet to really talk about anything, both still too shocked at finding out they had a son. He could tell that Matt had questions and he was sure they would all talk in the morning, but now they all needed a little time to wrap their minds around the situation.

Jarod stepped into the warm spray of the shower, enjoying the relaxing feel of the water sluicing down his body. He ducked his head under the spray and closed his eyes. Yet another shocking divulgement from the Centre, just when he thought there couldn't possibly be anything worse than what they had already done to him. His son had been sitting in the place for three depressing years enduring the same testing and seclusion that he had and by the same twisted hand.

Squeezing his eyes shut at the anger that was building, Jarod forced himself to calm down. After several deep breaths, he quickly washed his body and exited the shower. Going into the bedroom, he saw that lamp at Parker's bedside had been turned on and the covers tossed back, Parker nowhere to be seen. He finished toweling his body dry and moved to the dresser for a clean pair of boxer briefs and night pants and then left the room in search of her.

Noticing that the door to Matt's room was slightly ajar, he entered quietly to find Parker knelt at his bedside watching him sleep.

"Parker?" he called quietly. He could see the tears shining on her face from the glow of the nightlight. He entered the room fully and knelt down beside her.

"Look at him, Jarod," she said in a quiet voice full of awe. "I delivered our son with my own two hands and I didn't even know it. Daddy had to have known that he was really ours and all that time he just stood by letting me believe one of the biggest lies of all."

Jarod placed a comforting hand on her back not knowing what to say to make her feel better. He couldn't even make himself feel better. On the one hand, they had been blessed with a beautiful little boy, but on the other, they had been deceived, yet again, in the biggest way. Both of them violated, virtually raped of their genetic material in order to create this boy to be used as nothing more than a tool.

After placing a kiss on her son's warm cheek, Parker turned around to see that a deep frown had set in on Jarod's face. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him from the floor and out of the room. She knew what he was thinking because she was thinking the same thing.

"I can't let them get away with this, Parker," he said gravely. "They've gone too far this time."

"I know," was all she could say. She could only imagine the scenarios for revenge that must have been running through his head. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. It was one thing to mess with them. Hell, it was practically a way of life. But their child...that was a whole other issue.

**_End Story 1_**


End file.
